Only Human
by Evening Dawn
Summary: Ever since her first encounter with a certain white haired exorcist, Road Kamelot hasn't been the same. Why does his image constantly plague her thoughts, and what are the consequences of her newfound emotions?
1. Once Was Not

Once Was Not

After concluding a meeting with the Millennium Earl in the morning, Tyki Mikk was spending the afternoon in a relaxing fashion. Sitting before the fireplace in one of the elaborate living spaces at the Earl's keep, he was quietly reading one of his poker related books entitled: "The Art of Bluffing." When he wasn't out gambling with his human friends, he enjoyed the relaxing warmth of the fire in the comfort of a good book.

However, this particular occasion was far from picturesque; namely due to the company of one of his fellow comrades: Road Kamelot. His eye twitched slightly as he peered up from his book to find that Road was pacing back in forth in front of the fireplace.

Still pacing.

She had been doing it for over twenty minutes, and it was starting to bother him. Not because she was intentionally irritating him…but because she wasn't! It was rare to see Road so quiet and self absorbed since he had grown accustomed to fending off her constant requests for entertainment. It was true, that for the past month or so, she appeared to be acting differently. But to be in the same room with her for an extended period of time, and not hear a word from her…it was just disturbing.

He considered his relationship to the small Noah to be one of the strongest in the Earl's family. Ever since he inherited the power of the Noah's lineage, she had been there. She represented one of the few constants in his life aside from the Earl. As such, he felt that he was obligated to find out what had been bothering her the past few weeks. Unfortunately, this process had been much harder than he originally presumed. Every time he tried to approach her about her troubles she simply danced around the topic in her characteristically childish way; usually by demanding that he play with her instead. This tactic might've fooled any other of the Noah members, but he could see right through it. He knew that she was an extremely intelligent person, and not nearly as naïve as her childish facade seemed to portray. No…whatever was on her mind, it was obvious that she truly did not feel comfortable talking about it.

_Maybe it's something embarrassing? _The thought in itself seemed silly, since he couldn't remember a time that he had ever seen Road embarrassed before. Then again, the recent changes in her personality were equally as unusual. In the end, he could only speculate. _This time, I've got to do my best to find out what's bothering her._

He sighed and placed the book on his lap, continuing to observe Road. She looked to be completely in a world of her own as she continued to march back and forth like a dazed soldier.

"What's the matter Road? Trying to burn off the calories from all that candy you eat?" Tyki loved to poke fun at the girl's love for sugary treats.

Breaking out of her stupor, she looked up and grinned. "This place is so boring…there's nothing better to do." Arms splayed, she flopped down onto the large rug in front of the fireplace.

Comforted by the softness of the rug beneath her, she lazily closed her eyes, and returned to her previous reflections. Much to her dismay, daydreaming had become a frequent habit of hers. She wasn't fond of the idea of being constantly "spaced out" as Tyki liked to describe it. Despite those feelings, she had been finding herself less and less focused on reality, preferring to wander about in her own personal mindscape. Staring up at the ceiling, she thought back on their earlier gathering with the Earl.

Normally, family meetings with the Earl were a standard affair. But this time it was a little different. After the morning meeting had concluded, the Earl had asked her to stay so that he could talk to her in private. At the time, she already knew what it was going to be about. She had been falling behind in her duties, and had been completely incapable of fulfilling an important task that had been given to her months ago. It was a mission that required the killing an exorcist; an annoying white-haired exorcist, who was also the source of her own personal grief.

Allen Walker.

However, her relatively straightforward task had quickly evolved into a very unnerving endeavor. Since given the order, she had clashed with Allen multiple times. Yet despite these confrontations, she had been unable to terminate the boy. Originally, she wrote off her failures with a number of excuses, ranging anywhere from being outnumbered to simply losing track of him. At least, that was what she told the Earl.

Regardless of the past, the Earl made it very clear to her after the meeting, that any further failures on her part would be unacceptable. She had never seen the Earl so scary looking…so stern with his words…even going so far as to threaten her. The sinister edge he had placed on his words sent chills up her spine and for the first time in awhile, she felt fear towards him.

Frustrated, she flipped over onto her stomach, letting her hand glide back and forth over the soft fabric.

_None of this would be necessary if I could just finish the damn job…why the hell did it have to be HIM?_

It had been almost a year since she had first collided with the white haired exorcist back at the rewinding town. At the time, she had only heard rumors about the cursed exorcist; the one that could see the souls of the Akuma. She had thought nothing about him, until they were face to face. It had been a long time since she had seen someone so intensely passionate about something they cared for. The range and power of the emotions he displayed exhilarated her. The idea that she was causing him to act so ardently with her actions caused her to feel a strange connection with the boy. This might've explained her motives at the time when she had embraced him, as she had even surprised herself by her own actions.

Even long after the battle had concluded, she felt giddy with delight. She had thought, _Now there's no way he'll forget me_. For some strange reason, the notion had been comforting to her. But it wasn't until much later that she would finally begin to understand why.

She turned to lie on her side so that she was facing the flames of the fire. Staring into the dancing tendrils of light helped her focus on her thoughts; concentrate on whatever, namely whoever, was on her mind.

She sighed and bit lightly bit her thumb. There was a restless twinge in her stomach that refused to go away, and it was starting to drive her crazy. It was so uncharacteristic for her to feel any sense of uneasiness, especially when it had to do with performing her duties to the Earl.

Of course, it wasn't because she was worried about disappointing him. The truth was far from it, as she was generally indifferent about satisfying the Earl's needs. No matter how much he enjoyed simulating a "family" environment, he still viewed her as a thing, something to toy with. She was something to be used, and when the time came, to be disposed of. But none of that was new. She had always been aware of it. And so she came to believe that if he was going to use her, then she was going to use him as well. But in terms of what they were gaining from each other, there was really no comparison. Where the Earl would send her to battle the exorcist, she would steal away Lero for personal fun. But she was younger, and had no real desire for anything else at the time. All that she wanted to do was have fun, in any way that she could. If anything, she respected the Earl for being upfront about his desires, and what was expected in return for their service.

Again, her thoughts drifted back to Allen. Their previous encounters continuously looped in her mind, as she tried to remember all of his details. From his Order's black and silver uniform to his uniquely white locks of hair…she was capable of visualizing him quite vividly.

She had been acutely aware of the strange changes in her recent behavior; it was hard to miss with Tyki constantly badgering her about what was on her mind. But the explanation for these changes was no mystery to her. With all the time she'd had to think about these things, it hadn't take long to realize that she was somehow attracted to Allen Walker. She wasn't so foolish as to not realize that she had a strong, if not awkward attraction towards him. But the extent of her attraction disturbed for reasons she could not explain.

_Why is it…that I can't get that god damn guy out of my head? Why is it that these flames have a habit of outlining your face?_

Sure, she thought he was physically attractive, and even respected his combat capabilities. But he was unlike anybody she had ever met for the sole reason that he kept to his values. He truly believed that what he was doing as an exorcist was the right thing. That even though she had fought, taunted, and injured him in battle; he still had never been able to follow through with killing her. And it was all because she was still ultimately a human being; something he had sworn to protect.

_If only there were more humans like him, I wouldn't hate them so much._

It was a shame that people like Allen were far from the norm. The humans she knew were a hateful, deceiving lot. They cared only about themselves and feared anything that was out of the ordinary.

The memories of her childhood were a constant reminder of why she detested the humans like she did. Memories of back before the powers of her Noah lineage had awakened.

_I was all alone back then…nobody gave a damn about me…_

Her past was a muddled mess in her mind. The farthest back she could remember involved vague recollections of an orphanage. She didn't remember physical details as much as she did the feelings she experienced at the time. Hunger. Loneliness. Isolation. But when her powers finally awakened, everything changed. At first she was terrified; she had no idea what was happening, and no real control over her newfound abilities. She remembered that strange things would occur that were beyond her capability to control at the time, and she came to be feared by the children as well as the owners of the orphanage.

Eventually, the townspeople realized that she was no ordinary girl. And like most humans she knew, they immediately rejected her…rejected and feared what they could not comprehend. As a result, she was ridiculed, threatened, and assaulted by the frightened townspeople. She was outcast as an "evil child," an "enemy of god."

Exiled from the town, she distinctly remembered the fear of dying. She was on the verge of starvation when the Earl made his first appearance in her life.

"_The vile humans have scorned you, but I shall not. You have quite a gift little girl. You have inherited a grand power that the pathetic humans could never understand. But it's alright now. I will help you control these powers. I will show you others like yourself. And together, we will cleanse this world of the wretched existence of humans."_

And the rest was history.

But there was another explanation for how she felt about Allen Walker. One that she didn't feel qualified to confirm. It was a really silly idea in the first place…her…one of the elite of the Noah legacy, experiencing such an emotion. An emotion towards one of their sworn enemies; an exorcist!

Taking a deep breath, she steeled herself. "Hey…Tyki…"

"What is it Road?" He leaned back in the chair and rested his chin on the palm of his hand. _Maybe she feels like talking now._

Hesitating, she rolled over on her side so that she was facing away from him. _This is going to sound so stupid._ But as silly as she thought it might be, it was something she had to ask.

"Do you know anything about…love?..."

Tyki nearly fell out of his chair. _Alright, I didn't see that one coming. _He saw that she was nervously glancing over her shoulder, as if awaiting a response. Despite not being one to normally jump to conclusions, his mind blazed through the different possible justifications for her question.

Only one seemed to stand out.

_Love? Road? OUR Road Kamelot…in love? But who could she…_

Tyki's face instantly went pale. It was the only logical explanation. He was well aware of Road's previous "failures" at exterminating the exorcist Allen Walker. He also knew that over the past year she had taken a fancy to him. But he thought it was just in the playful sense; like a predator might toy with their prey, since he knew Road loved to enjoy her work. This new situation though…this was no good.

_If the Earl finds out about this, things aren't going to bode well for her. I have to stop this in its tracks, for her own sake._

"What is this about Road? Tell me honestly. I mean, do you seriously think that you're…that you're?...

Her face felt so hot from embarrassment that she thought she was going to faint. _I change my mind,_ _I can't talk about this. It's just too much. _She quickly stopped him from finishing his sentence. "You know what, forget it. It was a stupid question."

After a final glance into the fire, Road lazily picked herself off the rug. With a swift wave, a large set of red and white double doors appeared before her. As the doors opened, she took a deep, steadying breath.

"Look…I know I've been acting weird lately, but don't worry about me. I'm going to go set things straight, once and for all."

Tyki inquisitively furrowed his brow, "Oh? And how are you going to manage that?"

Before stepping into the darkness of the portal, Road turned back with an unusually stern expression.

"I'm going to kill Allen Walker."

_

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_Author's Note:_ Having read and watched all that is currently available for D.Gray-man, I find that Road's character is portrayed in a much darker, sadistic manner in the manga, as opposed to her anime counterpart. The Road I'm attempting to represent in this story is more closely related to her milder anime version. I plan on saving the other variation of Road for a much darker fic at a later time P. A future thank you to all that review, as any sort of feedback is always very helpful.


	2. Hourglass

Hourglass

Having arrived at his destination earlier in the day, Allen Walker had finally been able to gather some credible information. The Black Order had reason to believe that there was innocence to be found in the small village, and he had been sent to investigate. It took a lot of small talk and hotspot perusing, but he now had a very convincing lead.

Strolling through the busy streets of the town, he turned to his guide: an older, gray-haired man no taller than himself who taught at the local schoolhouse. "I really can't thank you enough for how much of a help you've been to me."

The older man let out a hearty laugh. "Hah! How could I say no? You looked just about as lost in this place as my students do during my mathematics lessons! The least I can do is show a respectful kid like yourself where the church is."

Allen forced a smile, despite his inward sigh. Unlike most people, the old man was able to see right through his unordinary physical characteristics. Generally people considered him to be much older than he actually was, due to his strikingly pure white hair. Similarly, the thin vertical streak that passed through his left eye also helped in making him look more mature.

_Well, he is right…I only recently turned 16…_

The older man furrowed his brow at the awkward silence that followed, "Something the matter son?"

Snapping out of his stupor, Allen quickly waved his hands defensively, "No..nothing! Nothing at all! Y…you were saying something about a special relic that is on display at this church?"

The man nodded as they continued towards the outskirts of the town. "Well, it was more of a gift given to the local minister some time ago. It's probably nothing, but the townsfolk like to believe that it's an endowment from the heavens; a sign of good fortune. Regardless, it's been kept on display at the church for awhile now. I like to think of it as a good luck charm myself, but people can believe what they like."

Allen nodded. Despite the old man's opinion, he had a strong feeling that this was the innocence that he had been looking for.

Once they had ventured far from the bustle and liveliness of the town square, Allen's companion directed his vision. "That's the one."

A large, wooden chapel sat alone in the distance. It's only company outside the borders of the town consisted of a number of large healthy oak trees that were scattered about. The rays of the evening sun glinted off the church's numerous stained glass windows, all patterned with a similar simplistic cross design.

"Well son, I hope you find what you're looking for." With a quick smile and wave, the old man headed back.

Now alone, Allen made his way to the entrance of the church.

Pressing against the aged wood, the door squealed on its old rusted hinges as it slowly swung open. Numerous rows of benches lined both sides of the chapel; they angled slightly towards the center altar, which featured a modestly decorated glass case at the base of the podium. Hundreds of lit candles illuminated the room, providing the only light source aside from the dimming glow of the stained glass windows.

Hesitantly, Allen called out. "Hello?"

The only response was the echo of his own voice.

_It's pretty creepy in here…where are the people?_

He cautiously crept down the aisle, until finally reaching the altar. Peering into the display case, he saw what looked to be a cube of innocence. The cube gave off a faint orange glow, similar to the innocence samples he'd collected before.

A loud slamming sound caused him to spin around, only to find that the door of the church had slammed itself shut. The previously lit candles rapidly began to extinguish, as a strange blackness seemed to engulf the walls of the church.

_Not good._

Allen sprinted towards the entrance, only to find that the door itself had vanished amidst the increasing void that had nearly made its way to the rafters. It wasn't long until Allen found himself completely blind.

Reacting to his sudden rush of adrenaline, Allen's arm shifted into the form of his parasitic claw. Using the special vision in his left eye, he scanned his surroundings for any signs of akuma.

A familiar voice emanated from the darkness. "No need to be so tense Allen, it's not like you haven't been here before."

His surroundings gradually became more discernable, despite the lack of an apparent light source. He was standing in a room that was roughly the same size as the chapel atrium. The walls, floor, and ceiling, were all covered in a similar black and white checkerboard pattern. Aside from himself, the baron room contained only one other thing.

Allen narrowed his eyes at the opposing figure. "Road Kamelot."

A devious smile crossed her lips; her name always sounded satisfying coming from him.

She was floating on her side just opposite him across the room. Her hand was propped under her chin supporting her head, as if she was lying on the floor.

Her attire consisted of her unusually unique style. Her lightly tanned skin provided a stark contrast to her white, un-tucked button-up shirt; the shirt itself possessing jagged serrations on the cuffs and hem. A black ribbon was tied in a bow beneath the shirt's collar, and the loose ends dangled freely down to her stomach. This was complemented by her matching black pleated skirt. The outfit could've almost passed as an unkempt high school uniform if it wasn't for her purple and black striped thigh-highs.

She casually ran a hand through her deep blue locks, brushing some of the messy spikes to the side. Small black crosses lined her forehead; the mark of a Noah apostle.

Despite her amused expression, Allen could feel the gaze from her intense yellow eyes boring into him.

Allen swallowed hard, bracing himself. "I don't want to fight you Road, but I guess that's not going to be an option now is it?"

With a smirk Road shook her head. "I wish I had time to explain this to you, but I'm afraid hearing anything from you might…compromise my orders." Her outward appearance exuded confidence, despite the extreme tentativeness she was experiencing. _I have to finish this quickly, or else I'm gonna lose my nerve._

Allen was caught off guard as large strands of red ribbon fired out from the walls. Not acting quickly enough, his arms, legs, and waist, were soon tightly entwined by the unusual bindings.

Bending down into an aggressive stance, Road slowly moved her hands away from her as if she was pushing an invisible object.

In sync with Road's motions, the ribbons rapidly withdrew back into the wall, dragging their captive along with them. With a solid thump, Allen slammed into the wall, now trapped and unable to effectively move his limbs.

Disoriented by her initial attack, Allen was unable to react quickly enough before she was upon him.

Confident that Allen was securely immobilized, she faded away, only to reappear less than a foot before him.

"My little world Allen. My rules."

Ignoring her provocation, Allen tried to slyly strain the ribbons, hoping to create space for some leverage.

_If I concentrate enough, I should be able to break free of this stuff and catch her by surprise. All I need to do is wait for the right moment._

Allen exhaled harshly, frustrated at the entire situation. Though he was well aware of Road's alliance with the Earl, he still didn't know the reasoning behind it.

_I just hate this. I don't understand… why do the Noah…why does **she** fight for the Millennium Earl? _

Lifting her hand into the air, a small candle with a sharp spiked end materialized in Road's grasp; a weapon very similar to the ones she'd used against him before. Raising it high, she readied herself, taking a final moment to peer into her victims eyes.

She could detect no signs of anger or fear; only a slight hint of disappointment was apparent in his otherwise indifferent gaze. Gritting her teeth, she clenched the weapon tightly.

_I'm sorry Allen._

After a few moments, her hand was still locked in position. The room was completely silent except for the sound of her own deepening breathes. It was then, that she began to panic.

Allen, still prepared to defend himself, watched with interest at the torrent of emotions that seemed to be swirling within his captor.

Road's pulse was fast accelerating, and her hand quivered as she continued to struggle with her feelings. Her rational self was adamantly demanding that she finish the assignment and be done with it.

_What the hell is wrong with me? I have to do this. I have to!_

Due to there proximity, she was able to detect the smell of leather coming from Allen; largely do to his apparel. It reminded her of her first confrontation with the exorcist, when she had the opportunity to wear the very same jacket; a jacket that emanated Allen's intoxicating scent…that had been warmed by his own body.

Seemingly against her will, all of the past month's conflicting images flowed into her mind. Dreams and imaginings that she had tried so hard to lock away, became the only thing she could think of.

_Is this worth it? Is it worth losing everything? Everything…for someone who probably hates me…_

She tried hard to cling to something; a nice, happy memory of her life that could justify completing her orders, and continuing on her path with the Earl. Only the comforting image of Tyki came to mind.

_He'd hate me…hell, he'd probably kill Allen just the same._

But further debate in her mind was useless. She had lost her nerve and she knew it. The realization left her feeling numb. Fear of the Earl's wrath seemed to scream at her from within some reasonable part of her brain. Even so, her own basic instinct of self preservation wasn't even enough. She finally accepted the truth.

She couldn't finish her orders. She couldn't kill him.

Slowly, Road lowered her hand, allowing it to rest limply be her side. The spike fell from her fingers, clanging against the checkered floor.

Allen was dumbfounded. He knew Road was no stranger to combat, and was quite capable of killing without hesitation. Why then, did she seem to be releasing him?

Still erring on the side of caution, Allen kept a close watch on her as he questioned, "What are you doing?"

A defeated chuckle escaped her lips as she snapped her fingers. "I have no idea."

The ribbons securing Allen to the wall began to dissolve along with their surroundings. Pieces of the room disintegrated into dust until they were left standing in the quiet calm of the original chapel aisle.

_If it was anybody else...any other human…it would be different. Why is it Allen, that you make me feel so damn weak?_

Though she had apparently lowered her guard, Allen was still wary, since she had made it a habit of toying with him in the past. But he had to admit that she seemed very different this time. There were no signs of her patented dark humor…only a passive look of acceptance.

Road shirked her head in the direction of the altar. "The stuff in the case is the innocence you were looking for. It wasn't much to scare the priest out of here…so much for devotion to his God. Not that I really expected any less." Disgust coated her biting words.

Deciding to place some trust in her, he relaxed his left arm, allowing it to return to normal. Though he didn't want to harm the apparent truce they had occurring, he had to ask the question that had been gnawing at him for some time.

"Why do you hate humans so much?"

Road's eyes flared up, "Because…because no humans are like you Allen! If they were then maybe they wouldn't be so bad. But they're not! They are cruel and hateful things. They are a bunch of hypocrites that use their God as a shield for anything they're afraid of! They…" She trailed off, pausing for a moment, before turning her back to Allen. With one hand, she undid her black bow, and threw it to the ground. She then unbuttoned her shirt and let it slide down her shoulders, exposing her bare back to him.

Allen's puzzled expression quickly turned to shock, as his eyes widened at the sight. Dark, sickeningly long scars crisscrossed the entirety of her back. It almost looked as if she had been beaten numerous times with a whip.

"Why is your back…can't you regenerate?"

Pulling her shirt back up, she spun around to Allen. Her unbuttoned shirt hung straight down, nearly revealing her chest. "This happened to me before I could fully control my powers. I couldn't regenerate back when I got them…and now…they just won't go away. A token of my wonderful childhood amongst normal people." Dipping her head and clenching her fist, she took a deep breath and continued, "Our kind did this to me." She lifted her head and pointed at the silent exorcist. "Your kind…did this to me. The ones you love so much. The ones you're trying to protect." Closing her eyes, she shook her head as if confused. "I don't understand why you want to defend those despicable people."

Allen stared blankly at her. He was amazed at how his perceptions of Road were fast changing, as there was obviously more to her than he had originally thought. At that moment, more than anything, he wanted to know more about her. There did seem to be an explanation for Road's behavior and actions; one that looked to have deeply and painfully affected her for a long time. It had been one of the burning questions that he had pondered for a long time. However, he also felt that she deserved to hear him explain himself as well. He opened his mouth to respond, but was interrupted by another voice from above.

"That'll be enough."

Both Allen and Road looked up to see Tyki Mikk standing on one of the rafters above them. Sporting his black suit and top hate, Road could see that he was also wielding Relo, the Earl's infamous umbrella.

Road was stunned by his unexpected appearance. "T..Tyki? What are you doing here…?"

Tyki narrowed his eyes at her. "I really don't think I'm the one that should be answering that question right now." There was an unmistakably harsh bitterness that laced his words like a poisoned dagger.

Road went pale. She didn't know how she was going to explain her actions to him. But her fear of Tyki's disappointment was quickly being overcome by her fear for Allen's safety.

Stepping defensively in front of Allen, Road replied, "Tyki…I know this looks really bad, but I can explain!" She glanced back at Allen briefly, her cheeks momentarily heating up. "Just…please…don't hurt Allen, leave him out of this."

Allen couldn't believe what he was hearing. This day was getting stranger and stranger for him, yet all he could do was keep quiet and watch the exchange between the two Noah descendents unfold.

Tyki's eyes widened slightly at the boldness of her request.

_There's no doubt about it. He's the one that's been on her mind._

Shaking his head he slowly replied, "You misunderstand Road. I'm not here for the young Walker. No…I'm afraid I was sent here to deal with you."

**

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**Authors Note:** Woo, a little cliffhanger for you guys P. Luckily the next chapter is almost done, so I hope to have it up really soon. Thanks so much to all that reviewed, the feedback really helps me out.


	3. Beating On Death's Door

Beating On Death's Door

Road's heart felt like it had plummeted to her stomach. She didn't want to believe what she was hearing; not from Tyki. For the first time since she could remember, she had to fight hard against tearing up.

"No way...Tyki. I thought we were...you wouldn't really?..." Her voice cracked as she spoke, feeling a large lump formulating in her throat.

Ignoring Road's empathetic appeal, Tyki continued with his explanation. "I told the Earl it would be a pain; with your unique abilities and all. He agreed, and endowed me with this particularly handy trick. Relo, if you will."

Twitching in response, Relo's eyes began to glow a bright luminescent white. As they did, the black crosses on Road's forehead lit up in unison.

"What are you…" Road was instantly hit by a wave of nausea, causing her to stumble off balance. Catching herself from falling, she bent down and clutched her stomach. With one hand she attempted to steady herself against a nearby bench, doing her best to resist the urge to vomit.

_We have to run! I have to get me and Allen out of here. _

Trying her best to focus amidst her muddled senses, she struggled to summon a personal void for them to hide in. However, her concentration was quickly shattered, as her body began to violently convulse. It took everything she had just to remain on her feet.

"Road!" Allen yelled, concern written all over his features.

With her free hand she held her arm defensively outward, signaling him not to come any closer. "Stay away! I…I don't know what's happening."

Again Tyki shook his head, apparently disappointed. "You really should stop worrying so much about the boy. If anything, he's going to save me a lot of extra work."

"Tyki…" Allen narrowed his eyes as anger began to seep into him. "What the hell did you do to her?"

Tyki laughed at the exorcist's emotional display. "Oh she's not going to die from that…not directly anyways. Relo's merely sealed her inherited powers. Her special Noah abilities are slowly leaving her. This makes things much easier."

Tyki pointed at the seething exorcist. "Which brings me to you…it's an exorcist's fate to battle with the Noah clan is it not? It is truly an inevitable occurrence that must eventually be resolved. I'm sure you will have no problem saving me the trouble and **taking care **of Road for me; she would likely prefer that in the end."

Upon ending his declaration, Tyki gave Allen a quick, crafty wink.

Allen blinked repeatedly, wondering if he had really just witnessed Tyki's suggestive gesture. _Did he just?..._ The potential significance of it soon dawned on him. _This…this might just be a charade…_

Without time to confirm his suspicions, Allen had to act quickly on his intuition. _If we're being watched, then we'd better put on a convincing show._

Glowing a deep ethereal green, his arm suddenly shifted back into the form of his anti-akuma weapon. Raising it before him, he clenched the giant metal claw into a fist. Without another word, Allen turned back to the ever weakening Road.

With stern eyes Allen icily replied. "Yeah, I guess this does make things easier."

Road could only watch as Allen slowly started towards her. She could feel her power being sapped, as her body seemed to get heavier and heavier. All she could do was stand there, her legs shaking from strain, and await her certain death.

_Well…I suppose this was one of the possible outcomes…being killed by the one I sacrificed my way of life for… _

Allen jumped high into the air with his claw raised to strike.

She had neither the energy nor the desire to dodge his attack. In a matter of minutes the life that she had known had been completely wiped away, along with the trust from the one person she'd shared a meaningful connection with. Also, the person she'd done it for was now about end her life. In her mind, there was nothing left. Watching Allen plummet towards her, she tilted her head so that she could see Tyki out of the corner of her eye. With his image in her mind, she closed her eyes and waited for the inevitable.

_Tyki…please don't hate me for this… _

Her anticipated demise never came.

With a deafening crash, Allen landed directly in front of her. His left arm, balled into a fist, had crushed a hole into the chapel's foundation. A massive cloud of debris immediately engulfed them; just what he needed to buy them some time.

The wooden rafters trembled and creaked under the strain of the shock. Tyki fought momentarily to maintain his balance; never taking his eyes away from Road and Allen's vicinity. As they became enveloped in the wreckage, they completely vanished from his sight. A bead of sweat slowly slid down the side of his face.

Standing up amidst the cover of dust and smoke, Allen wasted no time in explaining what needed to be done. "Look, as I see it, you're not supposed to make it out of this mess alive, are you?"

Road, still slightly confused by Allen's actions, could only manage a nervous nod in response.

"He's not going to be satisfied until it looks like you're a goner. If you want to make it out of this, then it needs to look like I killed you…"

The hesitation and reluctance in Allen's eyes did not escape Road's notice, as she understood what he was implying.

To Allen's surprise, she reached down with both hands and grabbed his claw.

Keeping her voice low, she whispered, "You're too soft Allen."

Raising it so that it hovered just below her chest, she took a quick, steadying breath. Gathering all the remaining strength could muster, she fiercely pulled it inward, allowing the claws to sink into her skin. Gritting her teeth, she then dragged the embedded anti-akuma weapon horizontally across the length of her abdomen in one fast motion.

Completely stunned, Allen stood wide eyed at the sight. Her actions reminded him of the first time they had met, when she had forcefully injured herself with his claw in order to demonstrate her powers. And now, because of her lack of power, she was doing it in a desperate attempt to save herself. He couldn't help but find the irony in the instance of déjà vu.

Watching the spectacle from above, Tyki squinted hard in an attempted to peer through the debris. He did his best not to grimace when the two finally came into view.

Road was lying face-up on the remains of the shattered floor. Though he couldn't determine the severity of her wound, its appearance gave a pretty strong impression. The young Noah's shirt was torn and soaked with blood; the same blood that seemed to be dripping from the claws of her assailant.

Standing next to Road's body, Allen Walker's intense glare betrayed no emotion.

Securing his hat with one hand, Tyki hopped down near the exit. "My work here is done." Taking one final glimpse, he walked out of the building.

* * *

Outside of the church, Relo twitched around Tyki's his grasp as he shouted in protest. "WHAT? What do you mean done-relo!? The exorcist boy is still alive-relo!" 

Tyki shrugged. "Killing the young Walker was not in my orders."

"It goes without saying-relo!!"

"If the Earl wanted me to kill him, he should've specified his wishes. All I know is that he wanted Road dealt with for her failure to produce results. And now that you and I have witnessed it, we can report back to him."

Pulling a small pack from his inside pocket, Tyki placed a cigarette between his lips. Pulling his lighter from his pocket, he attempted to light it with no avail; his hand was shaking too much.

_That was one of the hardest things I've ever done. _

Finally steadying enough to permit a light, Tyki took a long drag. He exhaled slowly, taking a moment to stare off into the setting sun beyond the village.

_I hope you know what you're doing Road. I can only do so much to help. Maybe one day you'll realize that all of that was necessary. You may not understand it now, but if I had allowed you to retain your power, the Earl would've been able to track you down in a heartbeat. Now at least, you're invisible to us, and he'll trust Relo's testimony that you were killed. The rest is up to you…but I'll keep a close eye out. _

His thoughts drifted to Allen, and he chuckled to himself. _So Allen, how was my poker face that time?_

* * *

Once he was sure that Tyki was gone, Allen knelt down beside the motionless form of Road. He leaned in closer to inspect the long horizontal gash that crossed her abdomen. 

Unconsciously, his eyes drifted to her chest, which was completely exposed since her unbuttoned shirt had flayed open when she had fallen. The shirt itself shirt was slightly shredded where his claws had penetrated; its whiteness provided a harsh contrast to the deep crimson that it was spreading within the material. The sight of her small naked breasts caused him to blush momentarily.

_Snap out of it! This is no time to be embarrassed… _

The wound itself wasn't as bad as the overall picture portrayed. However, the blood that was beginning to pool and intermingle with the debris gave cause for concern. Infection and blood loss were nothing to overlook. Plus, he had no idea how much of a physical strain the loss of her powers were going to affect her.

Allen started to worry when he noticed the lack of motion in her chest; it lacked any noticeable rise or fall that would indicate standard respiration. Bending down closer he placed his ear against her chest. At the same time he held the back of his hand just over her open mouth in the hopes to check her breathing. He mentally sighed as he felt tiny exhalations of warm breath. Similarly, he was able to detect a present, albeit sporadic, heartbeat.

_Alright, she seems to be stable enough to move. I have to get her to a doctor. _

Leaning back up, he was surprised when he felt her grasp his wrist. Slowly she opened her eyes. Her deep yellow orbs darted back and forth as she took in her surroundings.

"It's ok Road, it's me, Allen." A small smirk emerged on his face. "Not much of a consolation I guess is it?"

Focusing back on Allen, faint, broken chuckle escaped from her lips, "More than you could possible know…" Her words were broken by a harsh intake of air, as she clenched her eyes through the surge of pain.

Allen watched with empathy as she cringed. He knew she was in a lot of pain; most likely a feeling that she hadn't felt in years. He couldn't imagine how much of a shock it must've been to her.

It might've been due to the weakened state her body was spiraling into. It could even have been attributed to the severe emotional stress she'd been put through. Regardless, at that particularly dismal moment, she wanted nothing more than to touch him. She wanted to at least feel him; to allow herself some proof of her decision.

Slowly, she brought a hand up and lightly cupped the side of his face.

Still hovering over her, Allen responded with questioning eyes. "Road?"

Ignoring him, she brought her free hand upwards, mirroring the other, so that she gently framed his face with both of her hands. She lightly guided his face closer to hers, until they were mere inches apart; her eyes completely absorbed in his.

At first he thought that she was trying to tell him something, since her voice had been becoming less audible. However, the intense, fiery look in her eyes told him otherwise. A nervous tingling began to course through his body, as he took note of how soft her hands felt against his skin.

_He's so close. _Road's heart was accelerating rapidly as she felt Allen's warm breath caress her face. The feeling excited her in such a way that caused her face to heat up.

Alarm took a hold of her for a moment, as Allen's face began to blur in and out of focus. The injury she'd received was quickly becoming a serious concern, and she knew that she didn't have much time until she would be too weak to keep herself awake.

Allen detected a hint of fear in her increasingly weary gaze. Despite the situation, he maintained their extreme proximity when he spoke, "R..Road…I need to get you help. Your wound fooled Tyki for a reason…you're in pretty bad shape. It's not deep, but you're losing a lot of blood and…"

Barely above a whisper, Road interrupted him. "Don't leave me."

"What?"

"Please…" Using the last bit of strength she could muster, she lifted her head from the rubble; simultaneously bringing Allen's face right alongside her own. Shakily whispering into his ear, she continued, "Don't leave me….alone. I…I'm feeling a little cold…and I…just…want…to be…with…"

Road's eye lids slowly fell. Unable to finish, she finally felt herself losing consciousness. She couldn't be sure, but it faintly sounded like someone was calling her name, as she fell back to the ground and into blackness.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Sorry it took so long to get this out to you guys...the site just hasn't been cooperating with me for the last few days. As always, thank you all for taking the time to review. The reviews have been very helpful and informative. Cya folks next chapter :-P. 


	4. Dark Tranquility

Dark Tranquility

Allen was leaning against the wall in Komui's office. His arms were folded defiantly, as he made no effort to mask his annoyance.

Komui, who was sitting at his desk, shook his head in disbelief. "Allen, when they told me you were bringing a girl here for her own protection, nobody quite specified that she was going to be a member of the Earl's Noah family! What were you thinking?"

Allen, who considered himself to be a fairly patient person, was in the midst of loosing his cool. Komui's interrogation had been going on for about as long as he could stand, and his sleep deprived state was not helping his demeanor.

Since requesting Road's transfer from the small village hospital where she had been injured, to the Black Order Headquarters, he had spent most of his time at her bedside. The doctors had informed him that Road's injuries weren't severe; that she had lost a large amount of blood and her fatigued body simply needed time to recuperate. Of course he also suspected that Tyki's own doings had also played a part in Road's slow recovery.

That was two days ago.

In any case, he had felt compelled to be there when she finally awoke. First and foremost was because he genuinely wanted to know that she would be ok. It was simply part of his nature. But he also couldn't help but shake his intense interest in Road's motivations during their previous confrontation.

It had been hard enough to get her transferred to the larger, more adequate hospice provided by the Black Order, but it wasn't until a few hours after she had been resituated that her true identity had been brought into question. After all, Exorcists were extensively familiar with the allies of the Earl, including Road Kamelot. Now it was up to him to try and justify his actions, which was proving to be a much more difficult task than he had originally anticipated.

Komui furrowed his brow, questioning in an exasperated tone, "Allen, are you even listening to me?"

Pulled back to reality by Komui's inquiry, Allen grit his teeth. "We've been through all of this already…did you even hear my report? I don't think it gets any clearer than that. She helped me! She tried to defend me! Doesn't that count for anything?"

Komui shook his head. "Allen…I think you're missing just how rash of a decision this was. What do you really know about that girl? For all we know this could have been a setup…" He cut his thoughts short as could see that his line of reasoning was being quickly rejected by the young exorcist.

"No." Allen sternly shook his head. "Not a chance. Not after what I saw." He lowered his gaze to the floor as he recollected the previous events.

"I know that you're very adamant about this point, but I think you need to look at this a bit more realistically. Why would an esteemed member of the Noah clan want to help the exorcists?"

The vivid image of Road lying in the church slipped into his mind. Unconsciously he lifted his hand to his cheek, matching the area where Road had touched him.

"Allen?"

Irritated, Allen slammed his fist into the dark stone wall, causing the nearby mounted shelves to tremble. "I don't know! But you weren't there…nobody else was there." Allen lowered his hand, and closed his eyes while taking a deep, calming breath. "As far as I know…she has nothing left now. Nothing. If she did have good intentions, then the least I can do is help her find her way in a world that abandoned her a long time ago."

"Are you sure it wasn't the other way around?"

Allen glared back at Komui, "It's obvious we're not going to see eye to eye on this right now. If you need me, you know where I'll be." With that, he headed out the door, making it a point to slam it behind him.

After Allen's steamy departure, Komui sighed and leaned back in his chair. "Allen, you've still got a lot of growing up to do."

* * *

A faint glow flickered from what appeared to be numerous candles at the center of a large circular dining table. Several plates and platters of food were set in a disturbingly familiar fashion around the table; all accompanied by matching, unoccupied chairs. A noticeably larger and more ornate chair was positioned just to Road's left. 

…_where the Earl used to sit…_

Lost in an almost surreal daze, Road let her eyes wander around the room; taking in all of the details that seemed to be quickly recognizable.

Her head instantly snapped up and her eyes went as wide as the dinner plates.

The familiarity was no coincidence. She was sitting in the Earl's unmistakable dining room.

Startled by the sudden revelation she shot up from her seat, overturning hear seat in the process. The wooden clatter echoed amidst the dim, vacant hall. Her eyes darted around the room, searching for any signs of the family, as her heart accelerated from panic.

_What's going on…why am I back here?_

Dumbfounded, but not wanting to stick around any longer, she attempted to escape by manifesting one of her personal separate worlds. However, she was immediately overcome by strong wave of nausea; causing her to double over clutching her stomach.

A bead of sweat dripped from her forehead to the black marble floor, as she tried her best to recover from the sickened state.

_It's no use; I still can't use my powers._

Tilting her head up to scan the room once again, she noticed something on the center of the table that hadn't been there before.

A single…black…top hat.

Fear became her sole driving force. She bolted towards the room's only exit, which existed in the form of a pair of large wooden double doors. She had to make a conscious effort to keep herself from trembling uncontrollably, as she frantically pulled at the unmoving doors hoping they would give way.

"_**My dear Road, you don't think I'll find out?"**_

The sinister voice caused her entire body to freeze up, despite her mental pleas to try and escape.

"_**You don't think I'll find you?"**_ Again, the low, antagonistic voice of the Earl seemed to surround her; suffocating her with sadistic intensity.

In a surge of adrenaline she managed to yank open the door and bolt through, only to tumble into blackness beyond its threshold; the door slamming shut behind her. No longer able to see in the pitch black environment, she tried to quiet her hastened breathing in the hopes that she had escaped her assailant. Dropping to the floor so that she wouldn't trip on potential unseen obstacles, she began to feel around for anything to guide her.

After coming to a wall, she stood up and let it lead her. Her groping hands came upon the knob of a door which she slowly turned; attempting to be a quiet as possible.

To her surprise, an unseen force from the other side slammed shut the door, as the knob slipped from Road's grasp.

"_**You can't run from me my dear Road, I see everything."**_

Again, it was as if the voice was emanating all around her.

"_**I see you."**_

Too frightened to think clearly, Road dropped to the floor, hiding her head between her legs and encircling her arms around her knees. Deep, ragged breathes escaped from her lips as she attempted to calm her nerves, all the while the deep, bellowing laugh of the Earl echoed within her head.

It was becoming too much for her to handle. Though not one to ever ask for help, she couldn't stop from letting out a muffled cry, "Tyki…Allen…please…"

The booming laugh came to a sudden halt, and the powerful tension from her unseen antagonist's gaze seemed to lift away, allowing her to relax and breathe more easily. Slowly uncovering her head, she peered cautiously around the barren void, no longer able to detect the presence of the Earl.

Unexpectedly, she felt the warmness of another body press against her back, as two foreign arms gently encircled her waist.

Arms covered in long, black leather sleeves.

Oddly enough, she wasn't too alarmed by this. Instead, she felt an indescribable sense of comfort and security, and allowed herself to rest, leaning her weight back into the stranger's chest.

Feeling a slight pressure on her left shoulder, she turned her head, widening her eyes at the sight of Allen's smiling face; his chin resting beside her head.

"A…Allen?"

He gently tightened his soothing hug on the girl; pulling her closer, more comfortably into his embrace.

Allen turned his head and whispered lightly to her. "You're in a pretty tough situation right now. But don't worry. I'm right here, and I'll try my best to help you through this."

She found it surprising that just a few of his warm, friendly words could instantly eliminate all of her fears at that moment. A single tear fell down her face, as she felt herself being pulled away from the empty, yet consoling realm.

* * *

Her eyes slowly opened to the sight of a grey, hazy mess of a ceiling. Lying motionless on what felt to be a bed, she continued staring upwards; allowing time for the heavily sleep-induced effects of drowsiness to wear off. It was then that she realized just how hot she felt, as the sheets clung to her exposed skin; damp and sticky from perspiration. 

…a _dream…a nightmare…_

Feeling that she was regaining her bearings, she slowly sat up; pushing herself back with her legs in an attempt to prop herself against the headboard of the bed. Strangely enough the simple motion felt curiously unnatural, and her attention was brought to a numb, almost foreign feeling that seemed to pervade her body.

_Is it because of what Tyki did?_

Forcing the recent events out of her mind, she strained her eyes trying to discern her location. After a few minutes of effort, she found that her vision was slowly coming into focus.

Peering dizzily at her fuzzy surroundings, she found the source of the room's dim light emanating from old, brass lanterns spaced evenly around bare stone walls.

_Great…they threw me in a dungeon._

To her surprise, she felt the bed lurch slightly, snapping her out of her thoughts. Looking down to her side, her eyes widened at the unexpected sight. Allen's head was resting atop his own forearm, very close to her body on the edge of the bed. Sitting in a stool at her bedside, he had apparently fallen asleep.

A small smile crept onto her lips. She couldn't help but feel a comforting tingle flow throughout her body. It was the first time she had seen Allen's sleeping face. She felt strangely content at that moment, just watching him rest.

_Not as nice as the dream, but I guess I have to take what I can get at this point._

His black coat was notably missing, as it was folded and lying at the end of the bed. He was wearing a white dress shirt and a dark grey vest, with a red bow tied around the collar.

Looking further down she noticed that the cuff of his right arm was stained red from blood, arousing memories of their previous encounter.

_How long has it been? Has he been here the whole time?_

Without thinking she reached down and placed her hand on his head, letting her fingers curiously glide through his tousled white locks.

She froze. The simple physical contact with the exorcist was causing a memorable sensation to course through her body, one that was only ever sparked by his proximity.

Her daydreaming was interrupted when she noticed the door across from the bed creak open.

"Allen?" A spiky, red haired person peeked into the room.

She instinctively shot upright; startled by the sudden intrusion. The quick, jerky motion had rocked the bed, causing Allen to stir.

Still leaning on the bed, Allen lazily picked his head up. Slightly woozy, he looked over to the head that was poking through the doorway. "Lavi?"

Lavi gave a sly, suggestive smile. "Am I interrupting anything?"

Allen rolled his eyes, and opened his mouth to speak, but was cut off by Road's extreme bluntness.

"Who the hell are you?"

Ignoring her inquiry, Lavi raised an eyebrow, "So this is the one that's been the cause of all the commotion?"

As if sensing Road's increasing anger, Allen tried his best to change the topic, "What did you need me for Lavi?"

"Komui needs to see you. He wants you to meet him in the library."

Allen turned away defiantly. "We already talked…there's nothing more to say about the topic."

Lavi smirked at Allen's rebellious attitude. "Come on now bean sprout, you sulking in here isn't going to make anything better. If anything," Lavi directed his gaze to Road, "it's going to make things harder for your friend there."

Allen folded his arms, still avoiding eye contact with him. Road sat quietly, her eyes darting back and forth between the two, completely lost in their conversation.

Allen finally caved in, "Tell him I'll be there after I drop off the innocence that Road gave me to Hevlaska."

Lavi blinked. "Innocence? You didn't say anything about finding any innocence when you came back."

"It's been in my jacket the whole time." Allen replied, pointing to his black exorcist coat that was folded over the bedpost. He shirked his head in the direction of the bed, "I had more important things to worry about at the time."

A wry smile fell across Lavi's face and he opened his mouth to speak, before Allen quickly ran over and started shoving him out the door.

"That's enough from you for now. I'd rather spare her your crude humor from being the first thing for her to hear in days."

With Lavi removed from the room, Allen closed the door. Still standing, he turned back towards the bed to speak, but stopped short the moment he met her tentative gaze. An awkward silence fell between them, causing both of them to feel increasingly uncomfortable. After a few moments, he managed to speak up. "How are you feeling?"

Road placed a hand atop her abdomen, causing her to hiss slightly in pain. "I've felt better."

"The doctors say if the pain isn't too severe you should be ok to move. Do you think you can walk?"

She nodded in response, smirking as she noted the lack of a bathroom or windows in the small space they were occupying. Aside from the bed and a few bleak pieces of furniture, the room was pretty bare.

"Don't trust me enough to put me in a normal room?" Her rhetorical question was laced in mock innocence.

Allen chuckled, shaking his head, "We'll, let's just say you're not the most popular non-exorcist here. I could only hide the fact so long before they had you moved here." The smile faded into a much more serious expression. "Don't worry, after I visit Hevlaska I'll come back and…"

"I'm going with you."

Allen was taken back by the young Noah's forwardness. Though it may have sounded like a clear-cut demand, her eyes almost seemed to be pleading to him. He didn't blame her. He figured she must be aware of just how precarious her current situation was.

He finally shook his head and sighed, "You're not going to make this easy for me are you?"

Road nodded matter-of-factly, "Now you're getting it Allen."

"When you're ready, I'll take you to where you can get cleaned up and get some better clothes. I'll be right outside." Picking his jacket up from the bed, he folded it over his arm and stepped out.

* * *

Now alone for the first time since the incident in the chapel, she felt very empty, as she began to reflect on the magnitude of her situation. The ominous words of the Earl from her dream continuously looped in her mind. More than anything she wished that she could still use her Noah powers, just so she could close herself up in her personal, private void. 

_No! I can't run away from this anymore. It's not like before…I can't just shut myself away when things get complicated._

Being there amidst completely foreign surroundings stirred strange feelings of uneasiness. Since attaining her powers she had grown accustomed to always being in complete control of her circumstances. But now she was completely at the mercy of the one organization that likely desired her termination.

To make matters worse, because of her current lack of power, human contact was going to be totally unavoidable. Her own connection with Allen was one thing, but she sure as hell wasn't going to start liking humans because of it. If anything, it was going to take every bit of willpower she had to try and keep her condescending thoughts to herself.

Thoroughly frustrated, she ran her fingers through her hair in aggravation, only to feel a matted, tangled mess. She tossed off the white bed sheets, allowing her to finally take notice of her foreign apparel. Gone were any signs of her standard attire, as she was simply wearing what appeared to be a plain white night gown.

Though it served well enough for sleep, it was a fairly large deviation from her preferred style. In her mind she hoped that a change of clothing wasn't too far away, if not to save some of her dignity.

_The first thing I need to do is request a better wardrobe…_

Steadying herself with her hands, she shifted her weight and slid her legs over the edge of the bed. The entire motion roused a sharp pain in her abdomen, causing her to wince.

The stone floor felt like ice against her small, bare feet. Slowly she shuffled over to the door.

Resting her hand on the knob, she steeled herself for the challenge ahead: walking amongst other humans…not to mention the exorcists. No doubt she was going to encounter some adversity, especially from the latter of the groups. Lost and powerless, all she could do was trust that Allen would help her through this mess.

Somewhere in a dark, uncertain corner of her mind…it felt like the real nightmare was about to begin.

Author's Note:

Whew, summer courses and work just don't equate to a productive writer! Next chapter deals with some potential M-rated territory. Considering events that might transpire in this story, I may change it just to be on the safe side. Thanks to all who reviewed, see ya next chapter!


	5. Infect Me

Disclaimer: The rating for this story has been changed to M. I don't own D.Gray-man in any way.

Infect Me

It wasn't normal for him to be nervous when standing before the commander generals; that honor was usually left to the new arrivals. Standing on the elevator platform in the lowest depths of the Black Order, Komui kept his thoughts to himself as he waited to be addressed by the five supervisors sitting above.

Though, it wasn't exactly a secret as to why he had been summoned.

Remaining seated, the generals addressed Komui in unison. "We are disappointed by your lack of action."

Holding a meeting with the generals was always an awkward event; it was difficult for Komui to tell when it was appropriate to respond. In such situations, he preferred erring on the side of caution.

The generals continued, "Why does the girl still remain here?"

Komui shrugged, "There wasn't much we could do before she was already here. Since Noah's are biologically human, the gatekeeper couldn't detect anything out of the ordinary."

_Allen's efforts to conceal her identity also didn't make anything easier…_

"Too much time passed before she was discovered, and nothing has been done to resolve the current state of affairs."

Gesturing in a reassuring manner, Komui replied, "The report by exorcist Allen Walker indicates that she is currently unable to use her inherited abilities. As of now she is no more dangerous than any normal person, which is why security for her is not as strict at the moment." He took a moment readjust his glasses. "More than anything I simply wanted to avoid commotion within the Order that more security would bring about."

"You base your decisions on unfounded information. We cannot afford to merely assume the best case scenario." The general sitting in the middle rose from his chair. "Since this is a potentially volatile situation we will take time to discuss this matter in more detail. Until a conclusion is made, she is to be kept under maximum security. Effective immediately."

Komui nodded. He had figured that would be the case.

The center general continued, "Furthermore, all personnel unless otherwise specified, are to cease contact with the girl. We cannot risk the chance of any intelligence, intentionally or not, being leaked to someone in her position."

Komui bit his lip, visualizing Allen's response to such a restriction.

The general sat back down and waved his hand dismissively. "That is all."

* * *

Waiting in the corridor outside of Road's room, Allen was doing his best to mentally block out Lavi's antagonistic banter. Unfortunately, it was to no avail. 

Allen shook his head and held his hands up defensively. "Look, you have the wrong idea."

Lavi elbowed him in the side and gave him a look that seemed to say, 'I don't think so.' "You think I didn't notice you were holding her hand earlier? I guess you're a sucker for the 'bad girls', eh?"

Allen's face didn't reflect the reaction that Lavi was expecting. Instead, he continued to look ahead with a small, apathetic frown. "I think…" Allen started, "…that she was having a bad dream."

"Eh?" Lavi scratched his head.

"She looked really restless, like she was having a bad dream." Allen turned to Lavi and shrugged.

Lavi furrowed his brow, "It's hard for me to picture someone working for the Millennium Earl as being afraid of bumps in the night. I think you're looking too much into these things."

_No…that's not it. _

Allen shook his head. He knew all too well how it felt to be left alone. The time since his parents had orphaned him due to the deformity in his arm had left a strong impression. "I don't know. If I were her, I think there would be a lot to be afraid of right now. She's been abandoned and left, from what I understand, without her powers anymore."

"You sound like you feel sorry for her. Are you just going to forget about her previous employer? I'm not sure if she's someone that deserves your sympathies, Allen." Lavi's jubilant appearance had shifted to one of stern seriousness.

Allen detected the negative vibes emanating from Lavi. They came from the same suspicions and reservations that he had felt from Komui earlier.

_Am I really the only one who sees it this way?_

Allen sighed in exasperation; he was getting tired of defending his position. "Look, I don't feel like having another argument about this. Yes, I feel sympathy for her. Maybe it's because I feel partially responsible…"

Allen clenched his fist, as if to reassure himself.

"…but she's the one that helped me. Not the other way around. And I think more than anything else…that we, as exorcists, should be the first ones to believe in redemption."

Lavi stared thoughtfully at Allen for a few moments before responding, "You know…" A smirk crawled across his lips, "…you never really answered my question earlier."

Opening his mouth to reply, Allen was surprised to feel his face heat up ever so slightly, causing him to lower his gaze and focus sheepishly at the floor. Luckily for him the moment was interrupted by the sound of the door knob turning.

The wooden door creaked open and Road slowly stepped out; a certain sense of caution about her actions. She was quick to scan the area. Aside from Allen and the red-headed stranger that was with him, a pair of unfamiliar men stood a short distance away. They were wearing off-white hooded cloaks, and judging from their interest in her, she assumed they were extra security.

"Ready to go?"

Ignoring Allen's question, she directed her gaze towards the two suspicious men. Making a conscious effort to appear as sinister as she could, she threw her head back and assumed a posture of mock defiance. "Only two guards Allen? I would think the reputation of the Earl's family would warrant a bit more than supervision by a handful of weaklings." She made sure that her voice was loud enough for the guards to hear.

The Finders that had been assigned to keep watch on the girl became visibly tense, obviously shaken by Road's audacity.

Allen however, couldn't help but roll his eyes at the display. "Now play nice Road. I've assured them that you won't…well…can't…" He trailed off, not quite certain how to phrase his next words so that he didn't sound patronizing.

Road frowned, immediately connecting with Allen's implication. She wasn't happy that everybody was apparently aware of her "handicapped" status. It was a blow to her pride to think that even the lowly humans of the Black Order might not respect who she was.

_Well…not so much "respect" as it is "fear", I guess._

Allen cracked a smile from watching her reaction. It was as if she was silently pouting. He knew she wasn't going to like hearing it, but it was necessary in order to lessen the severity of her position; primarily the security and attention that she was going to attract.

Being led by Lavi, Road trailed behind as Allen walked beside her.

The group descended the large spiral tower, passing identical wooden doors every few feet.

"Just how high up are we, anyways?" Road questioned.

"Well…" Allen gestured to the solid stone railing to their right.

Road walked over and peered below. Her eyes widened as she realized she couldn't even see the bottom. "Wha…just…just how high is this place?"

"The question should actually be, 'How deep is this place?'" Lavi corrected. "This building goes much farther below ground level than it does above it."

Allen nodded, "There is an elevator that operates in the center, but we don't have that far to go."

He motioned for Road to follow and the trio continued downwards, the two Finders keeping a good distance behind them.

During their trek, Allen noticed that Road had crossed her hands to her arms, rubbing them up and down in an attempt to warm herself. She was obviously not used to the Black Order's cooler environment.

Oblivious to his observations, Road's eyes continued to dart back and forth, taking in all of the details of the archaic-looking structure. The building was no comparison to the grandiose facilities where the Earl resided. Still, there was an awkward charm about the unique mix of stone and technology.

"I'll give you this, I had no idea this place was so bi…" Her breath caught as she felt Allen's hands briefly brush against her shoulders, only to be replaced with the feel of warm leather against the back of her neck.

Lavi looked over his shoulder and chuckled at how excessively large Allen's jacket looked on the small girl; the bottom rim dragging the floor as she walked.

Allen answered Road's questioning eyes with a smile, "You looked cold."

Her cheeks flushed; partly from the gesture, but mostly from being enshrouded in Allen's sweet, enthralling aroma.

"Well, we're here."

Road looked at the door they had stopped at incredulously, "Where exactly is 'here'?"

Allen laughed at the suspicion that laced her question, "As bleak as it is, it's not a cell, Road. It's my room."

"There's a shower to your left when you go in and I had one of the Finders lay out a change of clothes for you. We'll wait outside. When you're ready I'll take you to our supervisor so we can figure out where to go from here."

Road nodded simply and stepped inside, making sure to lock the door behind her. "No peaking" was the mantra that drove her action.

_Allen's room…_

It was about as aesthetically unimpressive as the rest of the headquarters had been; right down to the same boring stone walls. However, she was surprised to see that the floor was made up of alternating black and white tiles, similar to that of a checkerboard. The alternate dimension that her Noah abilities allowed was largely characterized by the same sort of pattern. Somehow, the tiny bit of familiarity made the room seem much more comforting to her. A small bed with plain white sheets was pushed against the wall to her right, with the aforementioned bathroom on her left. She noticed a set of clothes folded neatly near the bed's headboard.

For some reason, she was being overwhelmed by a very unusual sense of giddiness. Sliding Allen's jacket off and letting it fall to the floor, she sat on the edge of the bed, getting a look at the room from a different perspective. Mindful of her injury, she picked her legs up and sprawled out, letting her head rest on the pillow.

She would have to tell him that his room was pretty dull. Perhaps let her decorate a little; it just wasn't colorful enough! And it wasn't nearly as entertaining as her "room" could be.

_I've always provided interesting "fun" in my room for Allen. I'll have to ask that the favor be returned sometime._

Such thoughts, however, were pulling her attention to a much more immediate issue; one that had been snowballing ever since she had awakened to the sight of Allen. The **feel** of Allen.

Like his jacket, the scent that pervaded the sheets was acting as a catalyst; igniting memories of her more pleasant and personable encounters with the exorcist. She was reminded of how, only days ago, their faces had been mere inches apart. How she had felt the warmth of his breath on her skin and how a thirst that was in dire need of quenching had been tormenting her for some time.

She sharply eyed the door that Allen and the other human were standing outside of; only detecting faint mumblings of some conversation between them. Against her better judgment, she slowly slipped a hand beneath her lower undergarment, giving into the need to satisfy her nagging carnal desire.

She closed her eyes, focusing only on her slow, determined ministrations against the highly sensitive cluster of nerves. Slowly building her rhythm, she ran her free hand in circular motions around her breasts; kneading them through the fabric of the white hospital gown. She had to bite her lip and make a concerted effort to keep her voice down as she fought against her instinctual urge to moan. Only a single, hushed "Allen" escaped between her increasingly ragged breaths.

Her release came all too soon. Arching her back, her whole body trembled as each ripple of pleasure passed through her like a shockwave. Relishing her peak, her body finally relaxed. Lying motionless, she took the moment to catch her breath and regain her composure.

_I…I had better take that shower…_

* * *

"Hey guys!" 

Both Allen and Lavi were surprised by the appearance of their friend Lenalee, who was smiling as she walked over to them.

"My brother isn't in his office so I figured I would try and ask…" Before she could finish, she was interrupted by the sight of a small girl exiting Allen's room.

Lenalee's eyes widened as she simultaneously took a step back, startled by her former adversary's appearance. Her uncharacteristic apparel had thrown Lenalee off at first, as Road was wearing a skirt and top not unlike her own. The exception was Allen's exorcist jacket that she had draped over her shoulders. It only took a moment, however, to recover from the shock, as a flicker of fury burned within Lenalee's eyes.

A strong sinking feeling began to seep into Allen.

_This could get ugly._

Road looked over the similarly dressed person with fleeting interest, until recognition finally set in.

_It's the girl from before…_

Road smiled wickedly as she remembered their last encounter. "Well, if it isn't my favorite doll. Things just keep getting more and more interesting." Her expression was complemented by an antagonistic tone.

Though Lavi was just observing with a confused expression, Allen was becoming increasingly uncomfortable. He flinched as he saw Lenalee's reaction to Road's remark.

_That was the wrong thing to say._

Lenalee's appearance darkened, as she clenched her fists, ready to summon her anti-Akuma weapon. "You…"

Not about to have a fight break out, Allen grabbed his angered friend's hand and sprinted down the hall; pulling along a very bewildered Lenalee behind him. Before getting too far away, he shouted behind him, "Lavi, take Road to get some food or something, I'll be right back!"

Road blinked a few times, trying to comprehend the scene that had just played out before her.

From the way Allen had handled her, she must be a friend of his. This prospect was not appealing to her. She was hoping that she was simply an associate of the Black Order, much like her own service with the Earl. The idea that she might not have a monopoly over Allen's attention irritated her to no end.

_I should have dealt with her back in the Rewinding Town._

"You're pretty good at causing that guy trouble, aren't you?" Lavi teased.

Rattled from her contemplations, Road shook her head. "Trust me, it goes both ways."

"Well, I guess we'll wait on Allen before we go see Komui. In the meantime, I bet you're pretty hungry. I'll show you to the cafeteria."

About to follow the red head, Road caught one of the Finders out of the corner of her eye.

And he was staring at her.

She knew that look. It shouted at her, ridiculed her. No, his glare of contempt was not unfamiliar to her.

Not hearing Road's footsteps behind him, Lavi turned to see that she hadn't moved from the door and was instead engaged in what looked to be an intense staring contest.

Road was starting to fume. Allen was really the only person other than Tyki that she had ever felt comfortable around. Despite her new circumstances, nothing had changed concerning her dislike for humans in general. As such, she couldn't stand the thought of them glaring at her in such a way.

Finally she broke the silence. Placing her hands on her hips, she shouted to the guard. "What the hell are you looking at?"

The guard sneered and crossed his arms, maintaining a dark look on his face. "It's a wonder you're still alive. I find it hard to believe that the Black Order doesn't know what should be done with you."

Road grit her teeth. She was absolutely livid. More than anything she wanted to rip that condescending smirk off of his face. "I wonder…what will become of me? But that shouldn't matter as far as you humans are concerned. Even without the Earl's help, you people would inevitably destroy one another."

She felt a hand lightly squeeze her shoulder from behind.

Lavi was looking down at her sternly. "Road, that's enough. You can't blame them for being…apprehensive…around you."

The Finder stared at Lavi in disbelief. "Do you hear what she's saying? How can you tolerate the nonsense that she's blabbering?"

Not giving Lavi the chance to respond, Road continued. "Really? I've never seen bullets work against an Akuma before. You have to rely on your precious exorcists for that. No, the weapons of humans are good at one thing: killing other humans."

The guard hesitated, not knowing how to respond. Instead, he simply turned his head away in frustration.

"Come on, let's go." Lavi gave Road a tug on the shoulder, directing her away. However, upon turning around, they both found themselves being impeded by a large group of Finders.

Lavi furrowed his brow. _This doesn't look good._

Dry and unemotional, one of the Finder's spoke, "The girl will be coming with us now. Further assistance from you is no longer necessary."

"I'm not going anywhere without Allen." Road shot back.

"Yes, I'm afraid you are."

As if given an unspoken command, the bulk of the assembly began to move in on the distressed Noah.

Without thinking, she instinctively tried to transport herself to her safe alternate realm. However, she was immediately hit by the same intense feelings of nausea and discomfort that her previous efforts had provoked. For a moment her surroundings blurred and she completely lost control of her motor functions, causing her to crumble down to the floor.

"Road, what's wrong?" Concern painted the red-headed exorcist's features. Moving to check her condition, he was blocked by a pair of Finders who were signaling him to stop.

"That is enough. We will handle the situation. Our orders are to take this one to the maximum security level."

Lavi hesitated. Regardless of who she was, he felt a twinge of responsibility for the girl in Allen's absence, but he also didn't want to harm the Bookman's amiable relationship with the Black Order either.

He decided that neutrality was his best bet, but that still didn't mean he had to halt his influence on the situation.

Looking to the Finder's that had been following them, Lavi pointed down the corridor where Allen had taken Lenalee. "Go bring exorcist Allen Walker. Now."

One of the Finders gave a curt nod and ran off down the hall. The fervor in his actions led Lavi to assume that the finder had misunderstood his intentions. He wanted Allen's presence to calm the girl, not to help the forceful struggle to control her.

Still on the floor, Road attempted to stand, only to stumble backwards into the wall behind her. The sound of her captor's footsteps increased as they cautiously closed in on her. Picking her head up, she was surprised to see that she was surrounded by multiple men, similar to the ones that had been guarding her before.

Now she was scared. It was a far different experience than waking up from a bad dream. She knew there would be no waking up from this situation; no reprieve from this reality. She was helpless without her powers and defenseless without Allen's help.

"Road, don't worry. Just cooperate for now and we'll sort this out soon."

Lavi's advice passed right through Road, who wasn't paying him any attention. She was too fixated on the pair of hands that were reaching down for her. Instinctively she batted them away causing the cautious Finder's to jerk away in alarm.

One of the Finders that was standing in front of Lavi turned his head to the group surrounding Road. "Enough playing around, the Noah should be harmless. Restrain her."

With more confidence the Finders redoubled their efforts, seizing Road by her arms and yanking her to her feet.

She couldn't handle this. Adrenaline fueled by the impulse of self-preservation surged through her veins. With all of her strength she fought against her captors; letting out a loud, enraged scream as she resisted.

As her cry filled the hall, so did a bright, blinding light, which completely engulfed her.

* * *

Sitting alone in his luxurious dining hall, the Millennium Earl's maniacal cackle resonated throughout the room.

It appeared that it was time for a "family" meeting.

* * *

Author's Note: Woo, an update! Things are really about to get crazy now. Thanks to Mandy, my beta reader, for catching my dumb mistakes. As always, I always appreciate you all for the constructive reviews. See ya next chapter! 


	6. A Might Divine

A Might Divine

Something was missing.

Despite indulging in one of his favorite hobbies in a very pleasant, comfortable setting, Tyki just couldn't concentrate. Thirty minutes of attempted reading had resulted in approximately two pages worth of progress. Frustrated, he let out an aggravated hiss and slammed the book shut.

No matter how hard he tried he knew he wasn't going to get very far. The room was far too quiet. He wasn't being constantly assaulted with a barrage of requests and questions. The air lacked the distinct aroma of strawberry and bubblegum candies.

There was no Road Kamelot.

It had been barely a week since he had left Road in the church with Allen Walker, yet he couldn't believe how much her absence had affected him. The memory of her sorrowful face had been heartrending to say the least. He knew that it had to be done and he still believed that he did what was necessary. But it was one thing when he knew that she was strong, capable, and able to handle herself. Now he couldn't help but worry about her. At least, not in the state that he'd last seen her in.

His ponderings were interrupted by the sound of the wooden double doors slowly creaking open. A tall, lithe looking man slowly stepped into the room, stopping less than a foot beyond the threshold. His long black hair flowed slightly behind him before coming to rest.

Tyki narrowed his eyes. _Jesper._

Not bothering to make eye contact the man spoke, "The Earl is having brunch and your presence is desired."

Tyki rolled his eyes. Always rife with the familial allusions, it was the Earl's way of holding an unscheduled meeting.

"Don't be late." With that, the dark figure slipped back through the door.

Moments after the door closed shut, Tyki shifted uncomfortably in his chair. Though the rest of the Earl's "family" wasn't the most ordinary bunch, he still found himself to be mainly wary of Jesper. He was sure that part of it had to do with how new he was to the Earl's family. Given some time, he was also sure that he would loosen up a bit.

But it was his ability that most disturbed Tyki, as well as the rest of the Noah. As he understood it, Jesper had an affinity for locating anyone of the Noah lineage. At least, those that had already awoken. Because of this he had become the Earl's personal bloodhound, making it possible to quickly locate new members, as well as keep tabs on the current crew. As such, Jesper was the reason that Tyki had needed to contain Road's powers. Had he not done that, it would've been obvious with Jesper's ability that she was still alive.

He sighed and lifted himself up. _I hope this doesn't take long._

* * *

For the second time in the past few days, she felt as if she didn't belong in her own skin. She felt something innately different, but wasn't entirely sure if it was a bad feeling or not. Recovering from her daze, reality flooded back to her: Lavi, Finders, and the struggle. 

At first she thought that there was a problem with her vision. Blurred humanoid figures surrounded her a few feet in all directions. But her hands, clothing, and everything in her immediate vicinity did not appear to be affected by the same distortion.

It suddenly hit her. _They can't get in…they can't get to me…_

The knowledge that she couldn't be harmed sparked a new air of confidence within her. The barrier felt like an extension of her body. Using her hands to manipulate the field seemed like the most natural thing in the world, as if she had been doing it all her life.

Her fascination quickly turned to anger. "Fucking…humans…"

Slowly, she raised an arm towards one of the finders outside of the barrier.

Lavi took note of the increasingly sinister look in her eyes. _Not good._

Flicking her wrist upwards, her target was suddenly propelled away. The Finder hit the wall with a sickening thud, but did not fall after the collision. Instead, he remained against the wall; his body being pressed into it by an unseen force.

Road's eyes widened and she took a deep breath. A familiar, satisfying excitement began to overwhelm her. She was in control again. She once again had the power to decide the fate of her enemies…and a vengeful voice in her mind was telling her to crush this one.

* * *

All eyes were on him at the Earl's dinner table. He felt the weight of their accusatory glances bearing down on him. After all, Road Kamelot was apparently alive and well. And now everybody knew. 

Tyki could barely believe what he was hearing. He glanced over at Jesper, who had a content smile on his face. _How can he know? That shouldn't be possible._ Despite his rampant inner thoughts, he made sure to maintain a mask of genuine shock. Luckily he had Relo as a witness, so he assumed that at least his ulterior motives hadn't been exposed. "Are you sure she's alive? I saw her killed by one of the Exorcists."

Jesper perked up. "I'm certain."

"Not only alive I'm told," the Earl added, "but in the hands of the Exorcists."

Jesper nodded. "The Black Order, to be precise."

The Earl leaned forward. "We can't have that now can we?"

_Keep a level head. _"Assuming Jesper is right...and she is where he says she is...what can we do? We stay clear of that place for a reason. The kind of power needed to assault something like the Black Order isn't worth it."

Jesper laughed, "Oh but there is something so interesting about her now!"

Tyki eyed him carefully, not amused by his strange enthusiasm. _What is he talking about?_

"Yes…interesting. Because of it, this needs to be dealt with immediately. We cannot allow those vile humans the opportunity to gain any confidential…information."

The Jasdevi twins look at each other and shrugged as Skin opened his mouth to speak.

Tyki slammed his fist onto the table, rattling the silverware and stopping Skin from his chance to volunteer. "I'll do it."

The Earl grinned. "This must be resolved, and I can't have you captured as well."

Tyki's chair screeched against the tiled floor as he got up to leave. "I failed to deal with her once. This time, I'll amend that mistake. Besides, if I have any trouble, you can be sure they'll want me dead. I'll give them good incentive."

The Earl's wicked smile widened with approval.

* * *

Lenalee hadn't looked him in the eyes for the past few minutes. Instead she was just staring off to the side, as if trying to comprehend the events he'd just explained. "I don't know Allen. It's…a lot to take in, especially about her." 

"I know. I know it is. You don't have to convince yourself of everything I said…I just want you to know that I'm not crazy. I just want you to trust me"

She smiled. It was a silly request. "Of course I trust you."

Allen exhaled a sigh of relief. It was always good to know that he had friends to stand behind him.

Lenalee's reassuring expression faded quickly as she noticed someone running towards them.

The Finder that Lavi had sent skidded to a halt just a few feet shy of Allen and Lenalee. He dropped to his knees, trying his best to communicate his message in between large gulps of air. "Lavi sent…for you…Noah girl…resisting…need backup…"

Allen's hand clenched instinctively. A mixture of anger and concern began to quickly muddle his senses, but he knew that he didn't have time to stick around for clarification. Without any affirmation, he sprinted off. He faintly heard Lenalee call after him as she tried to keep up.

Distant shouting reverberated throughout the stone corridors. _I must be close._ Running down the hall, he let the sounds of the commotion guide his way.

Before long he came upon the scene, joined shortly after by a panting Lenalee. A large group of Finders and other personnel were all circled around a large translucent dome. It was then that he spotted Road. Smack dab in the middle of it. He noticed a few others were attempting to pull down a Finder that appeared to be stuck to a wall; one that Road was glaring at with deadly intensity. Just what the hell was happening?

Searching the crowd he caught up to Lavi amidst the chaos. "What's going on?!" He had to shout because of the noise.

"Remember the innocence you brought back? In your jacket?" Lavi patted his own jacket pocket as if it would jog Allen's memory.

Allen responded with a puzzled look. After all, what did that have anything to do with…

Lavi nodded at him knowingly.

Allen turned back to Road, who was oblivious to his presence, with a mixture of awe and disbelief. Is that what he was seeing? It didn't seem possible. Road Kamelot, a Noah descendent and former subordinate to the Millennium Earl, was chosen by the innocence? From what he understood, innocence existed solely as a means to combat the Earl and his followers. It just didn't make any sense.

It took a conscious effort to halt the torrent of questions swirling in his mind. From the looks of things, explanations would have to wait.

"Look, I don't want to try to force my way to her, but she's not listening. If you can't stop her, then I'll have to." Lavi pulled out his anti-akuma mallet, readying himself for a fight.

"I'll try." Shoving his way through the Black Order personnel, Allen approached and placed his hands against the barrier. It felt solid, like a smooth glass surface. Not wanting to resort to force himself, he shouted in the hopes she would hear him. "Road! It's Allen, please stop!" He repeatedly thumped the strange surface with his fists. "Can you hear me?"

Road's concentration was broken when she felt a sting in her shoulder, as if she had just been stung by a mosquito. She glimpsed over to see Allen, and realized he had been the source of the muffled cries she'd been hearing. Her face, which was twisted with anger and apprehension, seemed to visibly relax at his sight.

_Where have you been?_

Allen was startled as he felt himself stumble forward. His whole body fazed through the once impenetrable obstacle as if there was nothing there, barely managing to catch himself before he hit the ground.

Lavi eyed the barrier curiously. _Is it no longer solid?_

Taking a few steps forward, Lavi mimicked Allen's previous actions and placed his free hand against the field, only to be met with resistance.

_Interesting, she can control what is or isn't allowed to pass through._

Road brought her attention back to the captive Finder. Her arm was still raised in the air as she had been, with effortless ease, restraining him the whole time. But she wasn't sure if she wanted to let him go. They had been the aggressors, not her. She was justified in defending herself.

_Making an example of this one will make them think twice next time…_

She narrowed her eyes at her captive, debating his fate. However, her view became blocked by Allen, who stepped in front of her.

It was curious to her that even though she couldn't see the finder, she was somehow still able to _feel_ him. And as long as that was the case, she was still able to affect him.

Allen took a small step towards her. He had his hands held up, suggesting that he didn't want any conflict. "That's enough Road. You can stop now." He reached out and lightly clasped her outstretched hand, gently lowering it. "You can stop."

Her anger finally dissipated, only to be replaced with frustration directed at the white-haired mediator. He wanted her to let him go? Did he have any idea how scared she'd just been? Her eyes began to well against her will as she dropped her head to hide away the impending tears. "That's not fair Allen…" Road barely choked out the words before beginning to feel light headed.

Her hold on the Finder finally shattered. With no more force present, the man slid down the wall and fell to the floor. The frightened Finder was quickly surrounded by his colleagues who helped pull him away.

Road wasn't quite aware of what was happening anymore. She was briefly conscious of her rapid descent before finally blacking out. The globe of protection that had once surrounded her faded away.

Lenalee cautiously stepped closer until she was at Allen's side. "Allen, are you alright?"

He nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine."

She directed her focus to the girl in his arms. "What about her?"

"She's tired. The first time is usually pretty exhausting on the body."

Joining the pair, Lavi looked around at all of the Finders, who were completely dumbfounded for what to do. "Ok, everybody, clear out. There's nothing more to see here."

Lenalee placed a hand on Allen's shoulder. "So what happens now?"

"…I don't know."

* * *

Allen had been in and out multiple times a day to check up on her. He usually brought her food and updated her on the current state of affairs regarding her situation. The whole incident with the Finders had sparked a firestorm of debate and controversy within the Black Order. 

In the meantime, she'd been restricted to a room far more isolated that the last one. She was forbidden to leave, and guards stayed watch outside day and night.

The seclusion had given her plenty of time to mull over recent events. And no matter where her thoughts took her, they were always laced with an extreme negativity towards the whole ordeal. Being stripped of her Noah abilities had been bad enough. But now she was becoming something she despised, at least by definition. An Exorcist: a (supposedly) divinely chosen defender of the human race.

It all seemed like some sort of sick joke.

But despite her revulsion towards the concept of the Exorcists and the Black Order, she had to admit that her new powers had come in handy.

_Well, at least the one time I was able to use them…_

It had been a few days since the incident with the Finders had occurred, which had given her ample time to devote to practice. But the intuition that had originally allowed her easy control to her newfound Exorcist powers had all but vanished. It just didn't feel as natural as it did before. Only a few days ago she managed to effortlessly toss a large human around like a rag doll. Now she could barely manage to slide a cup across the floor.

Allen watched in silent amusement from a chair near the corner of the room, periodically giving tidbits of advice to help her along. He had spent a good deal of time with Road the past few days; partially due to his desire to avoid Komui. He knew that his involvement with her was not looked well upon by those in charge, and that they would very much prefer him out of the picture.

But Komui wasn't the only thing that had brought him to the little Noah's side with greater frequency. An unnerving attraction was beginning to develop, one that Allen was barely able to acknowledge himself. Something was drawing him to Road's plight.

He leaned forward placing his elbows on his knees and resting his chin in his palms. "Don't get frustrated, many Exorcists experience the awakening of their powers as the result of a traumatic event. Or in your case, as a defense mechanism." He closed his eyes and nodded approvingly at his own words. "Though you were chosen by the innocence, the capabilities that you gain can't be used if you don't accept it." He slipped his hand into a small bag resting on the floor and retrieved two small, brightly colored packets.

Road quirked a brow, "It?"

Allen paused and tossed her the snack, which she fumbled with. "The innocence."

Road studied the bag of chips that Allen had thrown her and sighed. She made a mental note to request more sweets as she tore open the bag, deciding that she needed the energy.

"The results from your compatibility test with Hevlaska showed you being far below the norm."

Road shuddered from the recent memory. Who would've thought the Exorcists kept the equivalent of a big blue talking giant down in their basement? Needless to say, she hadn't been thrilled about the experience.

"Are you saying the…innocence…is denying me? Because I tried to hurt a human?"

Allen considered this. He recalled watching Kanda's aggression towards the Finders in the Black Order. _If that were the case, I think Kanda would have a tough time using his innocence…_

He shook his head from the thought. "No, as far as I know, that is completely different as far as the innocence is concerned. It's…" He rubbed his temples slowly, struggling to find the right words. "…more basic than that. You have to be comfortable with the knowledge that the innocence is now a part of you. That includes accepting the fact that the innocence chose _you_."

Road stared at him blankly. "I'm a Noah descendent; one that happens to hate other humans. If the innocence chose _me_ to be an Exorcist, then it must go by some pretty weird criteria."

Allen nodded as if he agreed. "That may be, but its irrelevant now. You are one of the chosen. Whether you embrace it or not is up to you."

She looked away and shook her head in disbelief. "This is all so…so….STUPID!" She slammed her fist into the floor, jarring the nearby cup. "I'm not an angel. This isn't who I am."

Allen sighed and slumped lower in the chair. He could tell this was going to be her biggest barrier.

Frustrated, Road stood up and began pacing near the edge of the bed opposite to Allen. She'd been sitting on the floor for over an hour trying to get that damn cup to move, and just shy of punching the pillows, it was as good as she could do to work off some steam.

Watching the furious little Noah tromp back and forth, Allen decided he could at least try to ease her current tensions.

"Come here." He stood up, and gestured to the previously occupied chair.

Road paused mid-step with an inquisitive look.

"Come on, switch with me. Just trust me." He smiled, and nodded assuringly.

Dumbfounded as to what he had in mind, she decided to play along and took the seat.

Still standing, Allen walked behind her and carefully placed his hands on her shoulders. He felt her twitch slightly in response. "Lean back and try to relax."

Maintaining a firm but gentle hold on her shoulders, he began to slowly knead her upper back with the base of his palms. He was surprised at just how tense she felt as he continued to work out all the stress that she'd accumulated. She was a mess.

At that moment though, Road would've disagreed with his assessment. She was tentative at first, but eventually succumbed to Allen's soft, therapeutic massage. She slumped her shoulders and exhaled. She wasn't sure if she'd ever felt so calm before, like she was slowly melting into the chair she was sitting on. As Allen continued his work, she felt her eyelids becoming excessively heavy. Before long they had slid half closed and she was barely within the boundaries of consciousness.

Allen smiled to himself as he felt her unwinding. In the past Cross Marion had assigned him to administer frequent massages during his stay with him. Apparently positions of leadership came with some nice perks. At times he had wondered just how relevant it was to his overall training. However, he'd eventually come to terms with the general's oddball requests. As long as he was on the road to becoming an Exorcist, a few peculiar tasks were fine by him.

Feeling as if she might fall forward, Road tilted her head backwards until it was resting on the top of the chair, her gaze directed upwards at Allen.

He was taken back for a brief moment, surprised as he began to probe the lazy yellow orbs that were staring up at him.

A wry, mischievous smile spread across her lips. She playfully reached up and cupped his cheek with her hand. "You're staring Allen."

And just like that, what had begun as an innocent gesture on his part was quickly spiraling into something more. Hormone driven desires were nothing new to Allen, but he did well to keep them in check. Now however, he couldn't help but think just how sexy she looked.

Without warning, he slowly gravitated downwards, his eyes still locked on his target. It wasn't until he could feel the warmth of her breath against his face that he stopped.

Road's heart accelerated. Was he really going to…?

_STOP._ A voice in the back of his head echoed through his thoughts. As if snapping out of a trance, he immediately shot upright and removed his hands from her shoulders.

"K…Komui needed me to stop by today. I'd b...better do that before it gets too late! I'll be by later." He was out the door in a flash, leaving Road still seated and completely bewildered.

_Damnit. _She thought. _Just when things were starting to get interesting._

However, she had seen Allen's brief change in demeanor. He had such a serious look; it was thrilling to think that he could change in such a way. Was that desire she'd seen burning in his eyes?

Unfortunately for the time being, she could only speculate. But she was already looking forward to his next visit. Very much so.

* * *

He had needed to get out quickly. It was frightening just how close he'd come to losing himself. A walk around the facility and a visit to Komui would hopefully clear his head. He didn't want to dwell on it at the moment. 

But he was beginning to hate Komui's office, as Komui had a habit as of late for bearing bad news. Why change now?

He shook his head sternly at Komui's proposition. "No. I'm not going anywhere. I won't be able to rest easy knowing that this situation with Road has yet to be straightened out."

"Allen, I think we can both agree that I've been both lenient and reasonable regarding your further involvement with the Noah girl. But…"

"Road."

"What?"

Allen squared his jaw. "Her name is Road."

Komui sighed. "Allen, I know you've been involved in this from the start, but right now it is really in your best interest to let it go. The commander generals want minimal contact to be made with her until they can come to a decision. That includes you. I know this isn't what you want to hear but believe me, it's for your own good."

He picked up a brown envelope from his desk and held it out, "Just take the assignment. In a few days when you're done this should all be sorted out."

Allen let out an exasperated hiss and snatched the envelope from his hands. Without another word he stomped out the door.

Those who Allen stormed by outside made sure to steer clear. He was fuming, and it was obvious. He was projecting his hostility to a point that would've made Kanda proud.

_If I leave here then she'll have no one in her corner._

No, he couldn't leave. The only voice she had in the Black Order was through him, and he very much planned on staying to hear the commander generals' "decision."

* * *

On the outskirts of the Black Order a small, dim flame was the only indication of any human presence. 

Tyki Mikk, clad in his black suit and tie, took a long drag from his freshly lit cigarette.

_This place is so depressing. Couldn't they have picked a nicer spot for an outpost?_

Infiltrating a primary Exorcist stronghold wasn't exactly one of the better ideas he'd signed up for lately. One or two at a time, he could handle. Most of the Noah descendants were at least capable of that. This place though…by himself no less…it was damn near suicide.

Getting in was the easy part, thanks to his particularly useful Noah ability. But what would he do once he'd been found out? As much as it might make things easier, killing everyone he came upon might not be the best option. There was a potential ally to be had in Allen Walker, and if it was found that he'd slaughtered some people on the way in, it might shatter his chances with him. Since the previous meeting with the Earl, Tyki had run through all of the possible scenarios that might lead to Road's rescue. Rescue, because he had no intention of handing her over to the Earl once he found her.

He chuckled to himself causing the ashes on his cindering cigarette to break away. He was really sticking his neck out for that little brat.

_Ok, no use dragging this out. I've never been one to bet small anyways. All in when it counts. Always._

Removing the remains of the cigarette from his lips, he began his stroll towards the dark, massive structure.

Looking out the tiny window of her room, Road could've sworn she saw a tiny light twirl briefly in the distance before suddenly dieing out.

* * *

AUTHOR'S NOTE:

Sorry this took an eternity to get out. My wonderful 10k rpm raptor Hard Disk died, and with it, everything involved with this story that wasn't already uploaded (. Needless to say, it took awhile to motivate myself into reviving/rewriting what I'd lost. But now I'm back, with backup drives to boot (pun intended)!

Just to help out with a bit of confusion that may have sprung up regarding the timeline of this story. Basically, if you've seen a bit past the Rewinding Town arc of the anime/manga (introduction of Lavi), then you know enough. This is set after that particular arc. Though I may use certain characters/material from the later chapters or episodes, don't assume so.

Thank you all for reading, and especially for taking the time to leave feedback. Next chapter, the breakout!


	7. The Lesser Faith

The Lesser Faith

It was uncomfortably hot underneath the layers of clothing Tyki was wearing. Though not visible, he was still wearing his black suit and tie underneath a stolen Finder's cloak. He had been fortunate enough to stumble into the room of one of the many personnel that worked at the Black Order. Of course, it was even luckier for the owner of the clothing that they weren't in the room. He couldn't afford to be given away so early in his search.

It felt degrading that he had to resort to using a disguise to sneak his way through the facility. His pride had almost caused him to dismiss the idea outright, but it was the quietest method that wouldn't attract any unnecessary attention.

He roamed the halls of the structure, taking note of the various Black Order personnel that passed by. Though he figured Road wouldn't be walking around in the open, Allen Walker might. Assuming the exorcist was there, he much preferred a guide than having to search room to room. His options were depressingly small: find Road, find Allen Walker, or be found out.

_Either way it gets a little less boring._

* * *

It had been another boring day worth of attempted innocence use…with no progress in sight. Road was still unable to reproduce any of the abilities that she had employed against the Finders. As a result, she'd simply given up and decided to lie in bed the rest of the evening.

Her thoughts drifted anywhere from Allen, to Tyki, to the Earl and the Black Order. The decision that she was awaiting from the Black Order concerning her fate was also a consistent topic in her mind.

After all, there wasn't much else to do.

Road was interrupted from her "daydreaming" when she heard voices outside the door. Though she couldn't make out any words, it sounded like some sort of dispute. After a few minutes of intent listening, the bickering seemed to die down, and the door finally opened.

Road sat upright, anticipating Allen's entrance. "Allen, it's so boring around here, can't they…" She trailed off when she realized that her guest was a similarly dressed girl with long black ponytails. Road slid off the bed and stood up with a defensive demeanor.

_Why is SHE here? What does she think she's doing?_

Their eyes met only briefly before Lenalee turned away. It had been hard enough to work up the necessary courage, but she had to make sure she had a handle on her emotions before she began. "I need to talk to you."

Normally, Road would've rejected her without a second thought. She wasn't comfortable not being the one in the position of power, or at least in this case, having a conversation with someone she considered to be part of her captors. Her pride played a large part in it.

But if there was one thing that could make all of that go away, it was boredom. Apart from random visits from Allen and toying with her newfound abilities (largely to no avail), she had been bored out of her mind. After all, a short chat with this girl might prove entertaining. She mulled over these thoughts until coming to her conclusion.

Trying her best to feign indifference, she flopped back onto the bed. "Fine," she grumbled, as if speaking to nobody in particular.

* * *

Allen stared down at his tray of food in the large dining hall of the Black Order. He knew he needed to get something in his system, but he hadn't been hungry since receiving Komui's orders. He'd simply been too agitated to eat. His voice in the matter was being silenced, and it infuriated him to no end.

"You look like you're in some pretty deep thought there, bean-sprout."

Startled from his reflections, Allen looked up from his plate to find that Lavi had managed to slip into the opposing seat unnoticed. "Y..yeah…I guess…" He replied.

"So…what's on your mind? Not having relationship problems already are you?" The red-head flinched at the immediate glare he received from the younger exorcist. Nope, he wasn't in the mood. But to his surprise, Allen nodded a moment later.

"Yeah, my 'relationship' with the Black Order. This whole situation seems to have put me at odds with everybody here." He briefly scanned the room, catching a few cautious glances being thrown his way. He shook his head and stared back down at his tray.

"Well, you sure know how to shake things up around here. But it's true that the folks here have been on edge lately. Can you blame them?"

Allen folded his arms. "No. I can't. That's what makes it even more aggravating."

Lavi stifled a laugh when he saw a Finder approach the table.

"Mr. Walker," the tall man spoke, "might I have a word with you?"

Allen looked up and, despite his mood, forced a smile, "Sure, have a seat." He motioned to the empty seat next to him.

The "Finder" exhaled a breath of relief, seeing that Allen hadn't recognized him. Tyki briefly considered the chair before carefully peering around the room. It was far too crowded for his liking. Since he couldn't be sure exactly how Allen was going to react, he would have to find a way to talk with him alone. "I'm afraid what I have to say is very important; I would feel more comfortable if we could speak in private."

Allen eyed the Finder with uncertainty. Something seemed strange about his behavior and his voice sounded oddly familiar, but he was having trouble picturing its owner.

He nodded and waved to Lavi, "I'll be back in a minute."

Lavi shrugged, "I'll be here."

* * *

Having attained Road's approval to stay, Lenalee tried her best to relax. Even though Road was effectively harmless, she still felt very uncomfortable in the strange girl's presence. She strode over to the nearest chair and sat down.

It seemed as if Road didn't care much about her intrusion. Or if she did, she was hiding it very well.

In actuality however, Road was both confused and anxious. She distinctly remembered how she'd toyed with the female exorcist during her first encounter with Allen. Revenge would be one of the nearest goals in her mind, and it was that reasoning that had her in a very attentive state.

Taking one final collective breath, Lenalee began. "What are you doing here?"

* * *

Allen followed behind the Finder who seemed to lack any sense of solid direction. However, he was too entrenched in his own thoughts to care much; he was simply running on autopilot. He assumed that the Finder would ask him why he was helping one of the Black Order's sworn enemies. It was a question that was becoming very tiresome to answer, but one that he felt obligated to answer in order to ease their worries. What he would never tell them though, was that his involvement with Road was developing into more than he would like to admit. It was very disturbing that her presence could make him disregard his better judgment. During his last visit with her, he'd almost lost it. He wondered if she was conscious of the effect she was having on him.

He was so out of it that he hadn't been aware of just where the Finder had led him until stepping inside. Blinking back into reality, he noted his surroundings: brooms, mops, dusters, cleaning agents, etc. "Um…this is a storage closet."

"Indeed." Tyki murmured in agreement, shutting the door behind him. "Now that I have your sole attention, I need a favor of you." Tyki took a step forward and leaned in slightly, slowly emphasizing his request, "Please remain calm."

Allen furrowed his brow. _Just what is this guy up to?_ "Fine, whatever, just what is it you wanted to talk about…and why exactly do you have to ask me here?"

"Because, Mr. Walker," Tyki took off his hood and unwrapped the bindings around his mouth, "I think you would agree that I would simply draw too much attention." Tyki grinned and lightly applauded, "I must say, the last time we met you put on a very convincing performance for Relo and I."

Allen's eyes widened in surprise, "You!" By instinct he stepped back into a defensive stance as a green glow engulfed his left arm.

As if merely reacting to a bad headache, Tyki sighed at Allen's defensiveness and slowly rubbed his temples. "When I said 'stay calm,' that's not exactly what I had in mind."

Despite Tyki's non-aggressive appearance, Allen was still on full alert. "What the hell are you doing here?!"

Tyki cringed at Allen's particularly noisy inquiry. "Please," he held his palms downwards as if to signal a quieter conversation, "it is very important that you keep your voice down. For Road's sake."

Allen was taken back at the mention of her name, but clenched his now metallic fist and retorted, "And why should I believe you give a damn about Road? For all I know, you could be here to finish the job you started in the chapel."

Tyki chuckled, "Trust me; if I had really wanted Road dead back then," he narrowed his eyes darkly, "your help is the last thing that I would have needed."

Allen wasn't sure how to respond. He could tell Tyki was being serious, and if that was the case, his previous actions were probably intended with Road in mind. His adrenaline rush slowly waned as he allowed his arm to return to its normal state.

Tyki nodded in approval. "Good. Now listen closely. I was sent here by the Earl to, as you would say, 'finish the job.' However, I have no intention of following such commands." He leaned in closer with a mischievous smile, "I need you to help me get her out of here."

Allen blinked. Hard. "What??"

"Look, if I don't get her then someone else will. The Earl is willing to send more here if necessary to eliminate her. Make no mistake, I, as well as the other Noah, are quite capable of such a task but I doubt you want some powerful enemies trying to infiltrate this place. It could lead to a wonderfully chaotic confrontation within these walls if some of the other Noah would have their way." Tyki eyed Allen thoughtfully. "I doubt you would enjoy the potential violence that would result."

Allowing the young exorcist a moment to let it sink in, Tyki reached into his coat pocket for his cigarettes but decided against it. "Now, I suppose I could leave her here, in the "safety" of the Black Order. Let us assume that you can manage to fend off an attack by the Earl; it still doesn't solve anything. If she ever does leave this place at a later time, they'll be just as ready. She'll be a prisoner in this place…that is…if she isn't one already."

"I'm…working on that one." Allen replied. He was having a hard time believing the Noah would go through so much trouble over Road. "Why does the Earl want her gone so badly? Why can't he just leave her alone?"

"Let's just say, it's a chance he can't take. I'm afraid that is all I can say on the matter." He left it vague, as there was no need to reveal the Noah's significance, nor their relevance to the Earl's plans.

"But what good is bringing her out of here? Just like you said, she'll be out in the open."

Tyki nodded, "Yes that is true. _However_, I have a plan; one that will hopefully solve this problem. You see, there wouldn't even_ be_ an issue right now if it weren't for a particular Noah's ability. I'm not sure how it works, but he can somehow specifically track those of the Noah lineage. I originally thought that he could only do it to those who had awakened powers, which is why I had Relo place a seal on Road."

Allen nodded. The logic of Tyki's previous actions was becoming clearer.

Tyki ran his fingers through his hair and sighed, "It seems…that I was in error."

* * *

Road furrowed her brow and stared at the exorcist, trying to discern her motives. "You came here to ask me **that**? Allen should have explained it to you already…that should be enough." She faltered slightly towards the end, since she wasn't exactly sure just how much Allen had told the girl.

Lenalee replied with a half-hearted nod. "He said that you gave him the innocence, and you were attacked by one of the other Noah because of it."

A small smile curled around the young Noah's lips.

Lenalee detected the smirk on Road's face. "That's not quite how it happened, is it?"

Road lazily sat up, wrapping her arms around her knees. "Actually, it's pretty damn close."

Lenalee leaned back and crossed her arms. "Alright, assuming that's exactly what happened, it still doesn't explain why you did it."

"Did what?" Road asked with mock innocence.

Lenalee resisted the urge to grit her teeth. "Why did you give Allen the innocence?"

"That's none of your business."

Lenalee nodded, as if she expected her to say that. "Normally I would agree. But Allen is my friend and this is all having a pretty bad effect on his reputation here. I'm concerned for him."

Road flinched slightly upon hearing "concerned." Just how close were they, she wondered. Such thoughts only fueled her impatience. "Whatever, we're done. I don't know why I even decided to talk to you in the first place."

Lenalee stared at her for a few moments before shaking her head and standing up. "I should've known this would be a waste of time. You're a Noah, why did I think that you might care about anything at all?" She headed towards the door, assuming the conversation complete.

However, she unknowingly struck a chord.

"Don't act like you know me!" Road's loud retort startled Lenalee, causing her to stop mid-stride. The small Noah slid off the bed and walked towards the girl, stopping a few feet in front of her. Her pride was driving her actions now. She couldn't stand such a blatant condescending attitude, especially from this girl, who was her only rival for Allen's affections as far as she knew. "Would you be surprised if you knew that it was exactly because of my stupid feelings that I gave Allen the innocence? That I subjected myself to all of this? And you say that you're doing this because you're worried about Allen? Is it reallyjust a 'friend' that you're doing this for?"

Without batting an eye Lenalee replied sternly, "That's none of **your** business."

That was it; the sparks were flying. The room was positively electric with tension; tension that was all but shattered by the sound of a struggle outside.

Suddenly, the door flew open and Allen and Tyki stepped inside, dragging two unconscious guards behind them. Allen paled almost the color of his hair upon seeing Lenalee in the room as well.

"Well what do we have here?" Tyki remarked, while shedding his finder disguise. "Not only do we find Road but a lovely young lady as well."

Despite the flattering comment, Lenalee's expression was a mix of horror and bewilderment.

"Lenalee, wait, I can explain!" It wasn't long before Allen was frantically giving a very animated rationalization of their intentions.

Road's heart skipped a beat when she saw the "Finder's" identity. Allen's speedy clarification of the situation faded into the background. The heated aggression from her previous argument washed away instantly, and was replaced with a nervous tinge. After all this time she still had no idea what Tyki thought of her for what she had done.

Tyki could sense the apprehension in his small comrade. There was a fear of rejection in her eyes. He smiled warmly, "You look different."

Tension diffused from her body, and she breathed a sigh of relief. "I am different."

Tyki waved his hand dismissively. "It's _too_ different. When I get the chance, I'm getting you a change of clothes."

And then she laughed. Tyki was taken back a bit. This wasn't the bubbly giggle she normally expressed around him; it was genuine. She was sincerely glad to see him. Small droplets began to well around her eyes; whether from the laughter or not, he wasn't sure. But then she ran over and embraced him, burying her face in his chest.

He placed a hand on her head, gently ruffling her hair. "Even when you're not around, you're a big pain in my neck you know?"

She nodded against his suit, sniffling, "I know."

Allen, who had managed to calm Lenalee down, broke the moment, "I don't want to interrupt or anything, but we don't have much time. Did you have a plan for getting out of here?"

Tyki scratched his head, "Well…it's a work in progress."

"What!? You did a pretty good job breaking in without anybody knowing."

Tyki walked over and phased his hand through the bed. "I can choose what part of reality I wish to interact with. Getting in here was a matter of walking through the right wall. But that doesn't help Road much now does it?"

Road perked up, "What about a disguise? I could go around as a Finder like you, Tyki!"

Tyki shook his head. "You're too short for that to work, Road."

Road folded her arms, doing her best to look offended. "Hey, I'm sure there are lots of short Finders."

"Maybe, but are there REALLY short Finders?"

Road and Tyki proceeded to bicker like children. Allen and Lenalee could only stand in confusion at the seemingly slapstick routine that was unfolding before them.

Snapping out of her stupor, Lenalee turned to Allen, "If these guys wake up, or if someone notices the lack of guards at the door, then this is all over."

He nodded in agreement. "But we still don't know how to get her outside…"

Lenalee looked across the room at the outer wall with careful consideration. She shook her head in disbelief. She couldn't believe what she was about to do, but she couldn't just let Allen leave with them alone. She still didn't trust them, even if Road had given off hints of possessing a more emotional side from their earlier conversation.

"I'm sorry, Lenalee…I really didn't mean to involve you in any of…" Allen's apology was cut short by a thunderous crash that echoed through the room.

Road and Tyki were startled by the noise as well as a small cloud of debris that began to drift around them.

Standing before a new, gaping hole where the window once was stood the silhouette of Lenalee in the now exposed moonlight, clad in her activated "Dark Boots."

After taking a moment to process her intent, Tyki smiled devilishly, "I like a woman who knows when its time for action."

"What can I say," she looked back to Allen, "**now** I'm involved."

**Author's Note:**

Many thanks to my beta reader and all that have reviewed. I have no intentions of quitting this story. It's going to get finished...eventually. )

I'm also flattered that Shiro-13, of Deviant Art, took the time to produce some cool fan art for this story! You can find the link to the art in my profile.

See you guys next chapter, and don't forget to review!


	8. A Brief Respite

A Brief Respite

Komui looked over the Finder standing in his office; one of the men that was investigating the escape of the Noah prisoner.

"Sir, there's a trail of claw marks running down the wall."

"Claw marks?"

"Yes sir…claw marks…and footprints…"

Komui sat upright in his chair. "What?"

The Finder mumbled nervously, "W…we found footprints too, sir." He was becoming increasingly uncomfortable. After all, it was Lenalee's anti-akuma weapon that would give someone the capacity for that type of maneuver.

Komui shook his head. _What is going on here? I can't believe that Allen would betray us because of the girl. But even if that was true, why is Lenalee with them?_

"They couldn't have gotten far," the Finder asserted.

"Begin a search. We need to find them." Komui readjusted his glasses, taking a moment to collect his thoughts. "And send the available exorcists as well."

The Finder shifted his weight in discomfort. "And what do we do if they resist?

Looking the Finder square in the eye, Komui spoke sternly, "My orders are for you to bring them back. Period."

.

* * *

.

The sound of a bell resonated outside of the train, signaling its immediate departure. The group within one of the locomotive's many passenger compartments breathed a collective sigh of relief as they felt the train lurch into motion.

After an awkward period of silence, Allen cleared his throat, "I think we're safe now."

With the excitement the escape waning, Road latched onto Allen's arm and let her head to rest against his shoulder. She smiled to herself when Allen made no attempts to avoid the contact.

"Well," Tyki started, "that worked out better than I thought it would." He tipped his head respectfully to Lenalee, who was sitting next to him opposite Allen and Road. "Ah yes, my thanks to you…"

"Lenalee," she replied, rolling her eyes at the Noah's exaggerated gesture.

"…Lenalee," he repeated her name as if to engrave it in his memory, "without your quick and…practical…thinking, that might have been a bit messier than I'd have liked."

Lenalee flinched slightly at "messier," but replied, "So do you care to fill us in on what the plan is from here?"

"Of course," Tyki nodded. "As I said before, one of the new family member's, Jesper, is the reason that we're in this situation to begin with. Because of his ability to track down our kin I have to take into account the possibility that he is aware of our location."

"Wait," Lenalee interrupted, "so this Jesper person knows that Road is with you right now?"

Tyki shrugged, "I can't be sure, but that may well be the case."

Allen furrowed his brow "But you were sent to…deal with Road. If he knows you're both with each other right now, then won't he realize you're disobeying your orders?"

Still resting against Allen, Road chimed, "You know everybody…I'm sitting right here." She was getting tired of being talked over.

Ignoring her, Tyki continued, "Like I said, it is very likely Jesper is aware of our proximity at this moment. However, I don't act as carelessly as you might think. I have already accounted for this." He leaned to the side, resting his chin on the knuckles of his closed fist. "Before I left, I met with Jesper in private. I told him that I didn't think I could go through with the Earl's orders; that I had known Road far too long to end her life with my own hands. So I asked for his help." He gave a playful wink to the small Noah. "Right now, I'm banking on him assuming you're my captive, Road."

"And you think Jesper will believe any of that?" Lenalee questioned.

Tyki retrieved a cigarette from the pack in his jacket and placed it between his lips. "If he doesn't, he doesn't. It was the best I could come up with at the time." Feeling content with his explanation, he leaned back and lit his cigarette.

Lenalee cringed at the scent produced by Tyki's smoking. "You know, those things are pretty bad for your health."

Tyki glanced at her with amusement. "Whatever. If this doesn't work out, I won't live that long anyways."

Lenalee narrowed her eyes. "Well it's bad for my health too. Put it out."

He chuckled at her reaction as he distinguished the cigarette on the compartment's wooden windowsill. "Maybe I should've rephrased that. If this doesn't work out, WE won't live that long anyways."

That possible conclusion plunged the passenger car back into silence. He cursed his morbid sense of humor as he watched his candy-loving comrade nervously shift in her seat. He leaned forward and placed his hand on her knee in an attempt to calm her nerves.

"Look, I will try my best to reason with him tomorrow; to try and convince him to tell the Earl that you're gone, and to let that be the end of it. But I can't possibly predict what his reaction will be to such a request, especially considering the treasonous nature of it."

"What if he refuses?" Allen asked almost rhetorically.

"Then I'll kill him." A brief wave of excitement flashed in his eyes before quickly dissipating. "Of course, I'll have to give all the credit to one of you."

Allen crooked his head, "Eh?"

"If that's the path we have to take, I'll need to use you as a scapegoat for Jesper's death. After all, casualties between the Black Order and the Noah family should come as no surprise to the Earl."

Allen noticed with slight disappointment that he was no longer being clung to by Road. Instead she was staring blankly at the floor. "Are you alright, Road?"

She didn't look up. "Maybe…" she started, "…maybe you should just go back."

The small traveling compartment seemed to get even smaller as all eyes fell upon her.

"Look, I'm really…happy…that you're all trying to help me, but this is…too much. I can make it on my own from here."

Tyki was speechless. Did he really just hear Road give a completely selfless suggestion with everybody but herself in mind? Just what exactly had happened to his selfish, carefree companion?

"Just get off at the next stop and I'll…" Road stopped as she felt Allen place a comforting hand on her shoulder. "What are you talking about Road? We got ourselves into this mess."

Lenalee nodded in agreement.

Road protested, "But even if Tyki's idea works, what about the Black Order? They'll still be looking for us. For you."

"We'll worry about that later. It'll work itself out in the end."

She was still unconvinced but felt too tired to protest, instead opting to reassume her previous posture against Allen's shoulder.

Lenalee slumped against her corner of the compartment bench. "So where are we headed? You said the other Noah was meeting you tomorrow, right?"

Tyki shrugged. "It doesn't matter where we go. He'll find me regardless."

"Then we'll get off at the next stop and find a place to stay the night," Allen concluded.

As the compartment quieted once more, Allen turned to the window. Watching the darkened landscape whip by, he reflected silently on Road's final question concerning the Black Order. It was a troubling one. Even if they could get Komui to pardon their actions, Road would still be subject to further incarceration. And that would be unacceptable.

No, he would have to stay with her until they could work something out with the Black Order. As long as it took. Since she was now technically an exorcist, surely they could be convinced of her potential value to the Order.

_Oh well, we'll cross that bridge when we come to it._

Until then, he just wanted time. Time to help Road control her new powers. Time to ease her back into human society. Time to sort out his mixed up emotions.

He wanted more time…with her.

.

* * *

.

** Evening Dawn casts resurrection on "Only Human." **

Sorry this chapter was so short considering the extreme hiatus that this story has undergone. I had no idea how to break up the next sections of the story and if I didn't designate this chapter to itself, I'd have never made any progress.

Thanks to all that have taken, and will take, the time to review. I really do appreciate it.


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